


Subterfuge

by liyussi



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Anal Sex, Hostage Situations, Kinda, M/M, Rough Sex, Violence, ill add more as the story goes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-14
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-02-14 12:44:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 30,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13008042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liyussi/pseuds/liyussi
Summary: Revered as the best of the best, Minseok has never failed in taking down targets he's been hired to kill. His latest contract has him packing his gear for China. For the first time ever, things don't go quite as planned.





	1. Chapter 01

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: violence

 

 

Static crackled into the night as the device next to Minseok lit up, the light blue screen annoyingly bright. Minseok only spared it a glance before going back to screwing on a suppressor at the end of his gun.

  
“Are you in position?” The radio came to life, the voice sounding nearly muffled as whoever was contacting Minseok was doing his best to stay quiet. Minseok took his time, finishing up the last touches of his preparation before he rolled over, stomach flat against the cold concrete of the building he was on top of. He positioned his sniper rifle over the ledge, glancing through the scope to line it up in the general direction of a building two lots over. Only then did Minseok grab his radio, keeping his eyes on his target  
  
“Been here for a while now.” He answered  
  
“Don’t be snarky. We’re supposed to be working together this time.” Came the voice again, his whisper sounding similar to a hiss.  
  
“I could’ve done it myself.” Minseok huffed, blowing stray strands of his coal black hair away from his eyes.  
  
“That would’ve required you to take the target via close quarters and there’s too much security here for that. You would’ve been caught.”  
  
“I would’ve managed. Assassins don’t work together Jongdae.” Minseok argued.  
  
“Well, our client decided that we would when he hired us.” Jongdae quipped back.  
  
“Whatever… Just make sure my escape route is secured.”  
  
“I had it set up yesterday. Take the third vent. A van will be parked in the alley you drop out into. Inside will be a briefcase with a uniform to change into that’ll match the company logo on the van. Make sure you don’t get caught—by anyone or by cameras.”  
  
“I’ve never been caught before, and I definitely won’t be caught now. Have fun dealing with the police when you’re inevitably brought in for questioning as a witness.” Minseok mocked as he dropped the radio by his side, getting back into position behind his sniper rifle.  
  
“Sure, as long as you promise not to miss.” Jongdae said before the line went silent. Minseok could only roll his eyes.  
  
“I’ve never missed either.” He muttered to himself, lowering his head to look through the scope. All communication between them now would be nonexistent. If Jongdae stuck with the plan, his earpiece should’ve been destroyed by now. He just had to wait for the perfect moment now. Often times, this part of the job took the longest—anywhere from minutes, to hours, to even days—but Minseok was patient. He had the unwavering dedication and concentration required for this kind of profession.  
  
He breathed out, his body deflating of tension and a cooling calm washing over him as he fell into his zone. He lined his crosshairs along the window where Jongdae would lead their target sometime during the night to converse privately. Wind speed, distance—Minseok made mental corrections in preparation for when his target would come into view.  
  
It took two hours. Two hours of waiting and watching as the party in the building went into full swing. Movement caught his eye as a head of blonde hair came into view. Jongdae was smiling, the corners of his lips curled up in their cat-like way. He leaned against the window, his back to Minseok, as he conversed with someone out of view—presumable the target. The man took sips of his champagne flute, carefree and laidback.  
  
Minseok nearly wanted to curse at him to hurry up. His trigger finger was itching.  
  
Finally, his partner turned to look out the window, leaning against the rail as he took in the night view. His mouth moved, soundless words coming out that seemed to prompt the other person with him to move.  
  
Minseok’s target—their client’s target—Choi Seungyeon came into view, the burly man swirling his tumbler glass with one hand while the other remained in his pocket. He seemed to be appreciating the view of a certain blonde’s body rather than the night view outside though.  
  
“Sly snake.” Minseok muttered as he tilted his head, slowly adjusting his aim.  
  
The man tilted his head back, gulping down the liquor in his cup, and in the next moment, he was eating a bullet.  
  
The window glass shattered along the hole made by Minseok’s shot, the glittering shards sprinkling all over the dark carpet inside. Jongdae covered his eyes and turned away to shield himself from the barrage of sharp particles. It wasn’t a perfect shot between the eyes, but the bullet tore through the man’s head all the same, blood splattering onto the floor as his body collapsed lifelessly.  
  
Based on his body movement and expression, Jongdae was screaming, the blonde falling and scrambling away in panic as the commotion caught the attention of the others in the building. Security rushed to the scene and soon enough, Minseok could faintly hear the panicked screams from the party goers as the reality of the situation set in.  
  
Minseok was already slinging his gun onto his back by that point. He tossed his radio into the briefcase he had with him, secured it shut, and was bolting across the rooftop. He had packed light this time, and without the weight of his usual gear hanging from his body, Minseok was speeding across the pipes and fans atop the building like nothing. He found the vents lining the far end of the building and pulled off the grating on the third one. He slipped in, but kept his body in place with his feet to pull the cover back on. He couldn’t afford to misplace anything. He maneuvered his gear to hold in front of him to keep from damaging anything as he let his weight go, slipping down the vent like it was a slide.  
  
He tumbled out of the construction, his back hitting the springs of an old an abandoned mattress that had been conveniently placed under the opening of the vent. Taking in his surroundings, Minseok made a mental note to thank Jongdae for that minute detail, seeing as he could’ve let Minseok fall into the dumpster that was right there just as easily.  
  
At the mouth of the alley was the promised parked van. Minseok spared no time as he yanked open the back doors, the inside fitted to resemble a military van more than a civilian vehicle, what with its metal flooring and the benches lining the sides. Minseok quickly set his gear down, dismantling his sniper rifle to the bare minimum to fit into his briefcase before he began to undress. His leather pants were tight around his thighs and the Korean man struggled to shimmy them off without accidentally pulling his underwear down with him. His vest and shirt were the next to go, carelessly tossing the articles onto the benches as he grabbed the folded jumpsuit uniform that was waiting for him. He slipped on the provided tank top before zipping up the jumpsuit. He grabbed the matching cap and pulled it low over his head before finally shutting the back doors.  
  
Minseok circled around the van, eyeing the side of the vehicle.  
  
A plumbing company. Of course.  
  
The assassin sighed and climbed into the driver’s seat, starting the ratty engine after a few sputters before driving away, the sound of sirens rushing passed him making him hum happily.  
  
Now all he had to do was wait for his client to see the news in the morning and he’ll be a five million won richer. It was cheap pay, but it was befitting for a cheap and easy job. Jongdae would be getting the higher cut due to his close proximity and interactions with Seungyeon, but that didn’t bother Minseok.  
  
He wasn’t doing this just for the money after all.

 

**❉❉❉**

  

His first kill had been at the tender age of eight years old. It hadn’t been purposeful of course—Minseok had just been scared. He hadn’t known what else to do. The strange man had broken into their house so suddenly and fired loud shots into the ceiling to scare him and his mother into submission. He demanded their money, their valuables, and to know where Minseok’s father was.  
  
Minseok’s mother had begged on her knees for the man to spare them—and if not her, at least her children. Her son watched as the man beat her with his hands, his feet, with the blunt end of his pistol. He hated it—Minseok cried as he watched his mother bleed from her mouth and nose, from the gash on her brow. He hated how the man made her curl on the kitchen floor, weak and powerless.  
  
When the man aimed his gun at her, frustrated at her noncompliance, Minseok lunged his small body at the man. He grabbed his arms, wrestled to get the weapon out of his hands. He was swung around effortlessly, like the man was trying to shake off a wild dog, but Minseok refused to let go. Through the snot and tears on his face, Minseok bit down as hard as his little teeth could.  
  
The gun clattered onto the ground, the man howling in pain, and Minseok scrambled for the weapon. He didn’t know how it worked, but he had seen movies where they used it—all it took was the press of a button, right?  
  
Minseok aimed the gun at the robber, his hands shaking.  
  
“L-Leave us alone!” He had stuttered.  
  
The man had no plans to leave though—not empty handed. He reached for Minseok, confident in overpowering a child, and with a hitched breath and panicked expression, Minseok fired. He fired until the gun was empty, frantic clicks echoing in the kitchen. The man had long stopped moving and Minseok only dropped the weapon when the blood seeping from his dead body spread out to reach his feet.  
  
His mother was screaming, her arms pulling Minseok in to drag him away—but instead of fear, Minseok felt calm. The man was dead. He would no longer hurt them. His heart was racing in his chest, but the adrenaline was accompanied by the sense of victorious accomplishment.  
  
He had lived. He had won. He had saved them.  
  
Minseok’s father returned home shortly after the ordeal, Minseok’s sister at his side still dressed in her tutu from ballet lessons. He greeted his father with a smile, proud of what he’d done.  
  
His parents’ tears said otherwise though.  
  
Unable to handle the trauma and the possibility of incidents happening again in the future due to her husband’s occupation in the armed forces, Minseok’s mother divorced and left the family, leaving Minseok and his younger sister to learn how to survive under their father’s careful guidance.  
  
What happened after that was what really changed the course of Minseok’s life—but that was all history now.  
  
Minseok opened his eyes at the sound of the door to the office being opened. Two bodyguards entered the room first, followed by a smaller businessman. Outside, Minseok counted two more guards taking position in the hall as the door swung closed. He rolled his eyes. He was only here to discuss a contract, not kill his potential employer.  
  
Given his reputation though, Minseok figured it’d only be right for them to be scared.  
  
The businessman took a seat in front of the assassin. His hands laced together in his lap as he regarded the smaller man. His eyes narrowed.  
  
“Are you really an assassin?” The man asked.  
  
“Do you usually underestimate people?” Minseok countered.  
  
“Touché…" The older man trailed off. He adjusted himself in his seat as he inhaled slowly to speak. Minseok cut him off before he could.  
  
“Just give me a name, any important details, and I’ll tell you the price.”  
  
The businessman tilted his head, speechless for all of five seconds before he did as Minseok asked. “Lu Han.”  
  
“Who?” Minseok asked, his brows furrowed. Given his job requirements, Minseok knew of at least every politician, celebrity, and major business owner in Korea, and the name ‘Lu Han’ did not ring any bells.  
  
“He’s the son of a Chinese politician, his father being the current minister of Foreign Affairs. While his son isn’t officially a part of the committee due to his age, he’s still involved with their activities and forming policies due to his heritage. He acts mainly as China’s ambassador in Korea and is the deputy director of the Department of Management.”  
  
“And why would you—a Korean businessman—have any interest in the political happenings in an entirely different country?” Minseok couldn’t help but inquire.  
  
“My company investor stands to gain quite a bit for the removal of Lu Han—and as such, I’ll receive benefits from their promotion.” The man explained.  
  
“So you’re sending me to China for this job.” Minseok stated more than asked.  
  
“That is correct.”  
  
“Why not just hire an assassin on the actual home ground?”  
  
“For obvious reasons, my benefactor can’t afford to be caught in anything illegal. Plus—I heard you’re the best of the best.”  
  
“You’re damn right I am.” Minseok said as he crossed his legs, his arms across his chest as he tilted his head and gave a smug smile. “I don’t mind, but the price for eliminating politicians is high. If he’s the son of a big shot, it’ll be hard to remove him without the issue becoming a huge deal. Adding to that, I’ll be in an entirely different country where I will be cut off from my usual contacts whenever I need backup—the cost of this operation will not be cheap.”  
  
“I have money to spare—it’s not just mine after all.”  
  
Minseok’s smile turned sweet, his eyes crescenting. “Let’s just hope that no one looks into you or your benefactor’s accounts, or else they’re going to notice that a suspiciously large amount of money had been paid for something that can’t quite be named on a bank book.”  
  
“There won’t be any problems there. So you’ll take the job?”  
  
“Of course. I’ll add up the estimated costs and send them to you within 24 hours. For now, your down payment is 10 million won.”  
  
The large number had the businessman raising a brow. Minseok stood, rolling his eyes at the man’s questioning look.  
  
“This is not only the cost of binding me to your job, but it’s also paying for my plane ticket and the months I’ll be staying in China.”  
  
“Months?”  
  
“Could be one—could be more. I need time to map out a plan, look into this politician’s schedules, set up a date and location, scope the area, and become familiar with the territory to ensure I can escape safely without stumbling into anything troublesome. That takes time—and money.” Minseok sneered, leaning forward to get into the man’s face. He moved back, clearly perturbed at the younger man’s belittling. “Please don’t tell me you thought this would be a walk in the park? Taking the life of a human being is one thing—taking the life of a human being with status is another.”  
  
“Most men I’ve hired have been able to quickly and efficiently finish jobs within a short window of time.” The business man grunted.  
  
“Yeah? And how many of those men are still alive today and not behind bars?” At the other man’s silence, Minseok gave a short, deriding laugh. “That’s what I thought.”  
  
Minseok tossed a flip phone over to his new client, the device landing in his lap.  
  
“Prepaid and burnable. Use that to contact me from now on. The number is already in there. Keep it with you until you see the death of Lu Han on the news and then destroy it.” He instructed as he headed for the door.  
  
He exited the room loudly, clearly announcing his presence to the guards outside who jumped in surprise. He smiled up at them, unafraid despite their towering heights, and laughed at their tense stances.  
  
He had never had to travel overseas before for a job. Minseok was beginning to feel excited.

 

**❉❉❉**

 

Lu Han nearly stumbled in his haste to exist his apartment building. He was running late, but that wasn't anything new to the politician. He had even left his coffee pot full on the burner in his hurry to leave, which only meant he was going to waste more minutes when he inevitable made a last minute run to the cafe in order to get his daily morning intake of caffeine. It wasn't like he really needed it at this point—it was more of an addiction than anything.  
  
He climbed into his car in a rush where his valet was waiting for him. The man greeted him with a kind and knowing smile.  
  
“Late again, Mr. Lu?” The man asked him fondly as he started the engine.  
  
“I think what huts more is that you've only been working for me for two months and you're already not surprised by this anymore.” Lu Han said exasperatedly as he pulled down the visor mirror, trying his best to tame his hair.  
  
“Being in the position that you are, I don't think anyone would care if you were late though, if I may speak freely.” The valet said as he pulled out of the garage. The other man shook his head at the statement.  
  
“Poor work ethics will lead to poor results.” Lu Han said, though he cleared his throat afterwards. “Well, _too_ poor, I mean.” He sighed, giving up on trying to cover himself up. “I need to try harder to arrive on time for once.”  
  
“Would you like me to start coming up to wake you in the mornings?” The driver suggested.  
  
“No—as much as I appreciate the sentiment, I’d rather keep my private life private as much as I can.” Lu Han politely refused. The valet didn't press anymore, knowing his position fully well and that Lu Han wouldn't budge on the matter.  
  
The deputy was driven to his favorite cafe where he quickly stopped by to grab a cup of coffee.  
  
When he arrived at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters, he was greeted the front desk cheerfully. His valet hadn't been lying when he said the people that worked there probably really wouldn't have cared if he showed up late or not. They only cared about results—and whether Lu Han could achieve those results within the normal nine working hours or less mattered little to the people above him. Leniency was as privilege that went hand-in-hand with status, Lu Han learned as he grew up. Still, for his own piece of mind, Lu Han still wanted to at least _attempt_ getting to the office on time.  
  
Besides, he had plenty of papers to go through, and lessening the time he spent at work was only hurting his progress. No matter how smart and efficient he was, it would catch up to him eventually.  
  
He took the elevator up to his department floor, happily greeting his fellow coworkers as he went. He briefly stopped in front of the Director's room to give his regards before continuing on to his own office. Upon entering, he was greeted by a rather unexpected guest sitting at his desk.  
  
“Good morning Han.” His father greeted him from where he was sitting on Lu Han's desk, looking through his papers with a careful eye. Lu Han slowly lowered his briefcase onto one of the office chairs as he looked at his father with wide eyes. He hadn't gotten any note that the man had arrived, and he certainly hadn't been expecting him. What business could he possibly have here?  
  
“Good morning. Did you need something? It’s not often that you come down to this department in person.” He asked the man.  
  
“Just wanted to go over a few things with you about the recent trade coming up.” The man began. Lu Han resisted the urge to roll his eyes and sigh. Of course, he only came down here to discuss these matters with Lu Han in person because it wasn't exactly a topic they could casually have in front of other people or through messages.  
  
“I’ve already taken care of the paperwork for that. They should have no problem getting into China and conducting their business. Their records of their previous activities have been wiped so they don't need to worry about being tracked down by any authorities. They just need to watch for their own asses and if anyone from outside follows them in.” Lu Han explained as he moved towards his desk, setting his bag on the chair as he tried to sort the papers his father had went through into neat stacks again. The Minister watched him expressionlessly, only standing to move away when Lu Han opened his laptop, his son settling in to start the day and work.  
  
“They’ve expressed some concerns about their licenses.” The older man began. “You’ve made sure that the HR director will approve of your referrals, right?”  
  
“He’s already agreed to. I would be surprised if he didn’t already stamp his approval on the papers.” Lu Han assured.  
  
“Then another thing—make sure you’re at the venue for the dinner tonight. We’ve made some big money thanks to America the other day, so we want to hold a celebration. Attendance is required this time, Han.”  
  
“I got it.”  
  
“Promise me you’ll come.”  
  
“I will. Don’t worry.”  
  
“Han—”  
  
“I get it—it’s important. I’ll be there.” Lu Han interrupted, tired of the conversation already. He understood his father's concerns, seeing that Lu Han rarely ever attended the events he and his father were invited to that involved anything less than virtuous.  
  
Lu Han just hated going out and socializing in general if it wasn't necessary. His relations to those in the underground trading were all through his father—he didn't understand why he had to make an appearance too.  
  
“All is good then.” His father said as he made his way to the door. “I’ll have a valet parked outside waiting for you by six.”  
  
When the man was finally good, Lu Han let out a long breath of relief. He hated the old man's presence—especially when he went through Lu Han's documents like he was scrutinizing his son's work. Like he couldn't trust the deputy to do his job correctly, even though that was all Lu Han had been doing ever since he was appointed the position. Hell, even before then—he had done everything his father ever asked of him perfectly, and yet his father had the audacity to act like Lu Han couldn't do his job.  
  
Ridiculous. And people wondered why Lu Han lived separately from the family—he couldn't fucking stand them.  
  
He went through the work day at a furious pace, fueled with motivation from his irritation, and was well caught up on most of the more important documents by the time the end of the work day rolled around. Usually, he would work overtime, trying his best to take care of as many things as he could (mostly because the director of his department couldn't be bothered doing anything unless it had been reviewed by Lu Han so all he had to do was sign the papers), but this time Lu Han packed up his things and left the office so he could make it to the promised dinner on time.  
  
It was everything Lu Han expected it to be. The dinner was rented out in an upscale restaurant that functioned jointly as a lounge bar. The entire place was reserved just for them, and Lu Han greeted as many people as he could recognize and whoever approached him politely. It was the perfect place for people to show off how much money they could spend on needlessly expensive drinks and tasteless food served in portions hardly big enough to even feed a cat. Regardless, the politician socialized as required, flirting when necessary and acting friendly otherwise. There were many familiar faces in the crowd of people—mostly because Lu Han memorized the photos on the papers that had to be processed through him just in case anything were to go wrong.  
  
While he didn't like it, acting like the nice guy to a crowd of pigs that weren't interested in anything but drugs and money was easy.  
  
An hour into the party, Lu Han's father finally made an appearance from one of the back rooms, followed by the head of the security department and two foreigners. A deal closed was a fat cheque in the bank—it was no wonder why his father looked pleased.  
  
Lu Han left just as the night's entertainment began. They were advertised as virgins, but Lu Han was sure they were anything but. He watched as the first girl was brought out—a blonde Russian with big grey eyes wide with fear—and shook his head as he left the venue. His presence wasn't needed at a dinner that had plenty of fun going around to distract the goers.  
  
He finally arrived home after a long day, and the politician promptly collapsed against his bed in exhaustion. He hugged his pillow to his head, heavy eyes drooping closed of his own accord. His dreams were plagued with heavy hands and the familiar, expectant eyes of his father, and how Lu Han wished he could overthrow the man.  
  
If he was gone, everything would be better.

 

**❉❉❉**

 

Minseok stepped out onto the balcony of his cheaply rented apartment, lighting up the end of his cigarette before placing it in his mouth. Minseok wasn't much of a smoker, but he used the fake prop to help his image and to give him an excuse to stand outside of his apartment room and watch the streets. He ran his fingers through his hair—the strands having grown long over the few months he'd been staying in China. He needed to get it cut, but with the limited Chinese that he knew, it would be a pain in the ass to try and find a place that could cut it the way he wanted.  
  
He pulled the fake cigarette from his lips and blew the white smoke into the air, eyes trained on the streets below. It was around this time that his target would pull up on the street and enter the coffee shop just across from where Minseok lived. Seeing how it was already past eight o'clock and still no sign of said target though, it was obvious the man was late. Again.  
  
According to the assassin's observations, Lu Han was supposed to arrive at his office by eight. One thing Minseok also learned though was that Lu Han was chronically late—to everything. It didn't come as a surprise to him when he saw the familiar sleek black car pull up to the curb of the sidewalk five minutes later, windows tinted so dark it was impossible to see who was inside. Minseok watched as his target stepped out from the passenger side seat—the deputy was wearing a grey suit today, his coal black hair kept unstyled in favor of leaving his fringe to fall across his forehead, his hair cut shortly and neatly.  
  
Minseok took another drag of his cigarette as he watched. In about another few minutes, Lu Han would walk out carrying an Americano—whether it was hot or iced was dependent on the weather. Seeing how it was a nice sunny day with low wind chill, it would be iced. He crushed the lit paper stick in the ashtray next to him before he turned around and headed back into his apartment. He grabbed his sweater, slipped on his shoes, and headed to the elevator in his complex. He walked out the front entrance just in time to see Lu Han stepping back outside, the man much taller than he looked from up above. It wasn't that Lu Han was necessarily a very tall person—Minseok knew that the politician had a habit of wearing insoles to make himself appear so. He seemed to have a complex about it—not that Minseok could judge him for it though. Even without his insoles, Lu Han was still taller than the assassin, and being short while in his profession has gotten him quite the many questioning looks that annoyed Minseok.  
  
He walked in the opposite direction that Lu Han's car was heading, knowing that the politician wasn't going anywhere except to his office. If there was one thing that was different about Lu Han compared to the many other members of the departments around him, it was that the Chinese man didn't go out as much. Minseok has observed his superiors and coworkers go around town, attending fancy parties and dinners and campaigns to further embed their names into the minds of the citizens, yet Lu Han on the other hand only ventured out when he needed to. He was young and successful thus far—thanks not only to his own talents, but his father's influence—yet he remained nearly entirely transparent from public view. Minseok had yet to figure out the reasoning behind that, but it was information that was irrelevant to him.  
  
While the fact that Lu Han wasn't as promiscuous in his activities was a pain in the ass for Minseok initially, the assassin learned an alternative method to go about his plan. Lu Han—for his idiotic love of simplicity—decided to buy his own housing in a well secured complex in the city that was close to his workplace. It was a miraculous blessing, considering that most politicians didn't live anywhere except for the most prestigious of locations. He learned enough Chinese to barely pass a job interview for the position of a maintenance worker in Lu Han's apartment building and managed to get hired. They had an opening after all, since their last worker had mysteriously disappeared.  
  
Not that they knew what happened to him—Minseok made sure that the body wouldn't be found any time soon.  
  
He checked in at the building, swiping in his time card as he checked the schedule he had been assigned. Five rooms were having issues with their AC that Minseok would have to go in and check and hopefully fix. Other things were making sure the plumbing in the lobby bathroom was working correctly as there had been a few complaints, and then sitting in the security office waiting to take calls from any tenants in case something else happened until the end of his shift. It was simple work—things Minseok could easily do thanks to the various skills he had to learn over time to become the revered assassin that he was today.  
  
He went about his day, entering each apartment and doing his work, stopping by the security room periodically to change his gear or needed equipment. On his fifth run back down, he glanced at the security guard sitting in his chair. He had two screens set up—one clicking through the cameras set up throughout the building automatically, and the other airing the latest drama. He was of an older age, and because of that, he was steadily nodding in and out, eyes constantly closed while small snores came from his nose. Wednesday afternoons were almost entirely devoid of traffic coming through the buildings, and if Minseok was doing his job right, there wouldn’t be any complaint calls coming in asking for their assistance.  
  
While he would be under a time crunch, the plan he had constructed had at least a bit of leeway in case something unpredictable happened. He walked over to the side of the room to the maintenance electric panel and opened it up, shutting off the power running through the security cameras. He glanced back at the security guard, making sure he was still sleeping. He only had a few minutes to get this right. If he took too long, it would look too suspicious that the cameras happened to shut off right before he took out Lu Han. If he could work fast enough, he could make it seem like a mistake in tripping the power.  
  
He quietly slipped from the security room and quickly made his way to the elevators, riding up to the floor where Lu Han stayed. It wasn't hard to find, as being a part of maintenance truly had its perks. He found the apartment room quickly and used the master key to open the padlock, entering the bare and mostly empty household. He took off his shoes outside the door, not wanting to leave even a possible footprint of evidence, and crossed the threshold in his socks to the far side wall. He cracked open one of the living room windows slightly—not too far that it would be noticeable, but just enough that if plan A didn't work out the way he was expecting, plan B would be to sneak into the apartment from the outside.  
  
Minseok made his way back to the entrance quickly and closed the door, making sure it stayed unlocked for him later. If Lu Han remained true to his schedule and habits, Minseok would get off from his shift before the politician would return home.  
  
The assassin hadn't wanted to have such close contact with his target initially, but it was surprisingly hard to plan a procedure that would allow him to take out Lu Han from afar. His apartment windows were angled strangely and too many other tall buildings were in the way, taking sniping out of the question. He didn't go outside enough for Minseok to chance him on the streets without inevitably being caught, and he's never seen Lu Han take anyone home, effectively crossing seducing him off the list.  
  
This was the best way—the most efficient and quiet way. Minseok would use the unlocked door to enter his apartment and lie in wait until Lu Han came home, and jump him when he was off guard. Minseok would be out of the country before the body would even have the chance to grow cold. He had already contacted his contractor about the execution, and his plane ticket was already waiting for him in his apartment.  
  
All that was left was to go back to the security room and flip the cameras back on. Now, it was just a game of patience—a game that Minseok always won.

 

**❉❉❉**

 

Lu Han slammed the door of his car shut, thanking his valet for driving him as he always did, before he tiredly began making his way towards the apartment's elevator. He was tired, shoulders sagging underneath the weight of his grey suit from the day's events. It wasn't that it was really any different from what he did everyday—but rather the amount of stress his father's activities were beginning to put on him. Just the other day, one of his partners had made a major mistake in his finances, a large amount of money being transferred to a throwaway bank account under a name that couldn't be traced back to a person. While that could be seen as a good thing, it wasn't if the police or someone else in the accounting department decided to look into the reason why so much money had been sent somewhere else, only to find that there was none. They couldn't just write 'cost of transporting illegal human resources' after all.  
  
Though it wasn't his place to be surveilling their finances, a fellow partner in the department had pointed it out to Lu Han, lost in what to do and seeking help. It had been a whole process in trying to cover it up, including paying off a few people who had noticed the problem but hadn't spoken up.  
  
If the Minister kept needing others to wipe up the mess that he was leaving behind, it would only be a matter of time before they're caught. Of course, there's nothing a little money can't fix, but it could potentially build up to becoming a bigger hassle in the future, and Lu Han wanted nothing to do with that.  
  
It was at times like these that Lu Han wished he could just take over his father's job for him—it would make all of their jobs easier.  
  
The elevator bell dinged as he arrived at his floor, the politician yawning loudly as he walked down the hall to his door. He stopped just before opening it though, staring at the handle for a long, silent moment. Many long minutes passed before Lu Han finally reached forward to the keypad and slowly typed in the lock's code, taking his time as each number he pressed beeped lightly. The keypad sounded out a little jingle as it unlocked and Lu Han grabbed the handle and pushed the door open a crack.  
  
“I know you’re in there.” Lu Han said through the small opening that was just large enough to allow his voice to carry throughout the apartment layout. “Though I'm not sure why you're here, now that I'm aware of your presence, I doubt you will get very far in whatever your goal is.”  
  
There was no answer. All the lights were off—exactly how he had left them—and it seemed that whoever was in his apartment was dead set on acting like they weren't.  
  
“We can go about this in two ways,” Lu Han began, still talking behind the mostly closed door to his intruder. “I can call security and they can apprehend you, or I can pay you double of whoever sent you here and you can be on your way.”  
  
There was nothing but silence—and then there was a slight creak of the floorboards. Lu Han whipped out his phone, dialing in the number of his bodyguards. Even if he didn't say anything or the call suddenly dropped, a single ring would have them running to the politician. He positioned his thumb over the call button, ready to call for backup if needed.  
  
“Or you can attempt the third option: where you try to attack me out here and I make sure your face gets caught on camera. Even if I somehow die in the process, my colleagues and father will make sure you won't be able to leave this country. Ever.” The Chinese man threatened. There was more silence, signaling that whoever was inside hadn’t moved from his initial step. Lu Han could only hope that the intruder was sincerely considering his offer.  
  
“If my opinion is worth anything, I'm hoping you'll choose the second option.” Lu Han said after he received no answer for a very long time. He waited a few seconds more when suddenly, the person inside spoke up.  
  
“I think you’re severely underestimating who I am, Deputy Director Lu.”  
  
They had a surprisingly soft voice—higher than what Lu Han was imagining. Their Chinese had a strange accent to it, revealing that the intruder was a foreigner. From where though, Lu Han couldn’t quite pinpoint.  
  
“If you think I won't be able to hold you off just long enough until my bodyguards get here, then you're severely underestimating me.” The politician countered. “If I was easily taken advantage of, I doubt I would have noticed that you were inside, right?”  
  
“Which begs the question,” The intruder began. “How did you know I was here?”  
  
“I’d feel better about telling you how if I didn’t feel like my life was in immediate danger. Why don’t you tell me who you are, why you are here, and who sent you?”  
  
“And why would I do that?”  
  
“Because I have a hard time imagining how you’re going to get away otherwise, unless you plan on jumping from the eleventh floor.”  
  
“… My name is Xiumin. I was hired to kill you. Telling you who hired me would be against my contract, so I won’t be providing you with that information.” The intruder said after a long pause.  
  
“If your contractor were to become your new target for double the amount he paid you to kill me, would you be able to tell me then?” Lu Han suggested.  
  
The door in front of him was suddenly pulled open faster than Lu Han could react. He was milliseconds away from pressing the call button on his phone when he realized the expression on the face of the man in front of him. He was shorter than Lu Han had thought—though he figured his stature matched the way his voice sounded much more with his current physical appearance—and had soft, black hair that curled just below his brows. He had a smile on his face, pink lips pulled thin. He walked away from the door, casually exposing his back to Lu Han. His nonchalance and unguarded attitude both annoyed and relieved the Chinese man. He stepped into his apartment and lowered his bag to the floor, but didn't bother taking off his shoes. It would be better to have them on just in case he had to run after all.  
  
“I think we can find an agreement somewhere in that offer of yours.” he man who called himself Xiumin said. He made himself comfortable in Lu Han's home, the stranger sitting on one of the couches in the living room and crossing his arms and legs. “If you were just offering me money, I would have declined. But saying you'll give me a contract—with doubled the amount at that—is too tempting to say no to.”  
  
“Oh? You’re not in the profession for the money?” Lu Han asked.  
  
“I enjoy killing—among other reasons.” Xiumin said bluntly with a slight tilt of his head. “Money is only part of the reason why I do what I do.”  
  
“I don’t know why I was expecting a more complicated answer than that, but I suppose that works.” Lu Han said in surprise. “All that aside, I would like to know of the man that I'm going to be asking you to kill now.”  
  
“He introduced himself as Park Jaebum. Doing a little bit of researched showed that’s his real name—owns a nice little chain of companies in Korea.” Xiumin explained.  
  
“And what does a business owner in Korea have to do with me?”  
  
“His partner is based in China and apparently he has beef with you and your dad. Not sure who or what their name is though—it wasn’t necessary for me to know in order to kill you, so I never asked.”  
  
“That makes sense…” Lu Han hummed a bit as he crossed his arms over his chest, gaze drifting away as he became lost in thought. No immediate names came to mind as possible perpetrators, but it wasn't unimaginable that there were people with a vendetta against him and his family out there planning for their demise. It happened more often than Lu Han liked to admit—mostly thanks to their line of work below the radar. “And how much did he pay you?”  
  
“Seeing as today was the last day I'd be in this country, the total came out to be about 50 million won. 10 for down pay, 15 to kill you, 25 for living expenses in Beijing.” Xiumin looked at the other man with a sly grin. “So if you want to go through with this, I’m going to be asking you for a whopping 100 million.”  
  
“Oh?” Lu Han mused, beginning to feel a bit more comfortable with the other’s presence. He leaned against the wall by the front entrance, a judging stare fixated on the smaller man sitting in his living room. “And what is someone like you going to do with 100 million won?”  
  
Xiumin hummed as he leaned back against the couch, pondering the question.  
  
“Buy better gear, upgrade some of my weapons maybe—get a few custom works done—and then by a nicer car. Get my bathroom refurbished, get VIP tickets to my favorite band, and then spend the rest on alcohol.” The black haired man admitted with a grin.  
  
“That’s quite the lavish living.” Lu Han said with a shake of his head. “With all that in mind though—how do I know you won't fuck up in taking out this Park Jaebum? How can I trust that you won't just make a run for it?”  
  
“You have my word.” Xiumin said, like it was the only thing Lu Han needed. The Chinese man gave him an unimpressed look.  
  
“That’s not enough.” Lu Han shook his head. He thought for a moment, before he lit up, a smile on his face. “Give me your personal documents. A visa, passport, ID, and any kind of license. You must have them, right?”  
  
Xiumin’s eyes widened.  
  
“Are you fucking kidding me? Hell no.”  
  
“No documents, no deal. I can’t trust you based on your word alone.”  
  
The stranger stared at Lu Han before he seemed to relax. He rolled his eyes. “Fine. They won’t do you any good anyway. I can easily get new ones.”  
  
“Oh?” Lu Han challenged. He began stepping forward, finally entering further into the house now that he felt he had the upper hand of the situation. “Easily, huh? With your profession, I was so sure that you've been living under the grid. No real identification, no real certificate, no real license. I was wagering that the only way you managed to get into China in the first place was because your contractor arranged for you to obtain a fake passport and visa—am I wrong?”  
  
At Xiumin's silence, the politician laughed.  
  
“I want you to hand those documents over to me.” Lu Han said in a tone lower, nearly right in front of the other man. He saw Xiumin lean back ever so slightly, clearly intimidated by the taller man's sudden change in demeanor. “Otherwise I'll make good on my previous threat and make sure you never set a foot outside of this country again.”  
  
“I don’t have to do as you say…” Xiumin growled back suddenly. He leaned forward, this time standing and nearly getting up into Lu Han’s face. “I can still kill you—right here, right now, just as easily.”  
  
At that, Lu Han raised his phone to his ear, having pressed the call button. The device rang only once before the person on the other line answered.  
  
“Yes, I’m going to need help escorting a guest back to his home.” The politician said with a grin into the receiver. He raised his hand when he saw Xiumin move forward like he was getting ready to attack. “Touch me and I’ll make you regret it.”  
  
Suddenly finding himself on the short end of the stick, the black haired man couldn't do anything other than listen. He stepped away from Lu Han's immediate presence and crossed his arms with a pout. It was strange—seeing a man that had come to kill him suddenly wear an expression that was more fit for a child. It threw Lu Han for a loop, wondering if this man was really who he said he was. He hung up the call soon after receiving confirmation that two of his bodyguards would be arriving momentarily.  
  
“Don’t be mad—try to understand it from my position. I'm clearly at a disadvantage here. It's only natural I want at least some control on my end.” Lu Han said good-naturedly. The look on Xiumin's face said he didn't believe him.  
  
“Then… I want you to tell me one thing.” The shorter one suddenly spoke up. Lu Han looked at him to show he was listening. “How did you know I was inside your apartment?”  
  
“Oh, that.” Lu Han laughed. He pointed over at the front entrance. “The handle on my door is a bit janked. Whenever I leave in the mornings, I angle it upwards ever so slightly when it locks so it stays that way. I can always tell if someone entered my home if the handle is set straight again.”  
  
“… Are you serious?” Xiumin asked, his mouth gaping in awe. “Why—why would you even feel the need to do that in the first place?”  
  
“You’re not the first hitman to come after me.” Lu Han said with a smirk. That had the assassin bristling, not bothered that he wasn’t the first to attempt at Lu Han’s life, but that he was one of many who have failed.  
  
It didn't take long for the bodyguards to arrive, two burly men entering the apartment with stoic expressions. Xiumin eyed them up and down, gauging them, and determined that while he could take one of them down, fighting two plus Lu Han—whose capabilities he still wasn't sure about—would be too much trouble. The assassin decided to go along with it. It was only for a brief amount of time, and once he took care of Jaebum, he'd be free to go back to doing as he pleased. He'd be able to leave Lu Han and China behind and never look back.  
  
One thing for certain was that this would be the last time he ever agreed to doing a job outside his home country. Lu Han was right about him living under the radar. He didn't have a proper ID or passport—both of which were needed for travelling—and if his fake documents were to be taken away while in a foreign country, the assassin was practically screwed. His only way out would be to have someone come and get him with new papers, as going to an embassy was out of the question.  
  
And he certainly didn't have anyone he could rely on like that.  
  
“Where have you been staying while in China? Are your things here?” Lu Han suddenly asked him while they were on their way down to the parking garage.  
  
“No… I actually have everything with me. I was supposed to leave tonight once I had taken care of you.” The man explained. Lu Han held out his hand.  
  
“Give them to me.” The taller male demanded. The other man tried not to curse as he begrudgingly took out his plane ticket and forged passport from his pocket and handed them over. Lu Han glanced at the front of the booklet with a curious expression before flipping it open.  
  
“Korean passport huh? So Xiumin isn’t your real name?” Lu Han commented.  
  
“Of course it isn’t.” Xiumin responded.  
  
“Then what is it?”  
  
“Why do I have to tell you?”  
  
“Because then I'm docking your payment by 25% and there's nothing you can do about it because I have your passport in my hand. Good luck getting home.” Lu Han said nonchalantly as he stuffed the booklet and plane ticket into his own pocket. Xiumin's eyes widened in panic and he moved before he could think about it. He grabbed at the collar of Lu Han's suit, fist ready to connect with the man's face. Lu Han caught his hand—a move that surprised the assassin so much he froze, having not expected the other man to fight back. His arm was twisted behind his back, his body moving accordingly as he grunted at the brief spark of pain, before he was slammed forward against a wall. Xiumin moved to push back, anger flaring at being trapped against his will, when Lu Han pushed forward harder, warm breath ghosting over his ear.  
  
“Don’t move.” The man said in a low voice that didn't fit his previous conduct, the tone immediately making the assassin still. “Don’t make this harder than this has to be. It's just a name—why do you have to get so worked up?”  
  
“I feel like you're the one who's worked up right now…” The other male mumbled. “… It’s Minseok. Kim Minseok. Can you let go now?”  
  
“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Lu Han asked as he released the smaller man. Minseok immediately turned back around so his back wasn't towards the politician, the black haired man rubbing his sore wrist.  
  
“I don’t know why you care to know my real name so much.” He remarked.  
  
“In case you make a run for it, I can at least find you if I have your name. “Lu Han explained like it was a simple matter. “Regarding your flight tonight, you won’t be taking it. I’ll be having you take a separate flight with me.”  
  
“Wait, I can’t just—”  
  
“Why not?” Lu Han interrupted. “It’s not like he’s going to be monitoring whether you checked in or not. Besides, I have a few things I need to ask him before you kill him.”  
  
“You’re just going to give him a surprise visit? Won’t that cause problems for you?” Minseok asked.  
  
“Who do you think I am?” The taller man said with a grin. “Paying off his security will be no problem, and whatever mess you decide to make at his home will be no problem. Once I'm finished with him, feel free to go all out.”  
  
The promise made Minseok smile, shaking his head in disbelief.  
  
“Just to be clear—I like killing people because of the challenge.”  
  
“Then should we set him loose on the streets and have you hunt him down like a dog?”  
  
“I’d rather not, thank you. I’ll stick with making an easy mess indoors.”  
  
“Also, I realized—your passport says you’re older than me? There’s no way that’s possible.”  
  
“Fuck off.”

 

**❉❉❉**

 

It was nearly midnight and Jaebum found he couldn't sleep. He sat in his living room, nursing a small tumbler of whiskey, as he fought to keep a smile off his lips. In just a few short hours, news of Lu Han's death would make it on television, and his excitement of the fact kept him from sleeping. He took another sip of his drink, already envisioning the big fat paycheck that would be transferred to his accounts tomorrow. The 50 million payment he had made towards that greedy assassin had been worth it, as his reward for carrying out his benefactor's request would far outweigh any sacrifice.  
  
He was already making good money from his company, but with this, he and his wife could settle down for life. How his fortune turned out to be so good, Jaebum would never know.  
  
He finished the last sip of his drink and stood to get more in the kitchen, his footsteps soft on the carpeted ground. He was in the midst of pouring when he heard the odd sound of glass cracking. He stopped his movements, the businessman glancing back at the living room in curiosity as he tried to locate the source of the sound. Nothing came even after waiting though. Perhaps he was just hearing things?  
  
Jaebum collected his tumbler glass and moved towards the hallways anyway. It was never a bad idea to check after all.  
  
He was rounding the corner when he nearly bumped into something unexpected. He only had enough to step back with wide eyes before hands were flying in front of his face. Something solid collided against his chin, sending his head flying back. The world tilted, the ceiling spinning, as the balance on his feet was the next to go. Jaebum landed on his back with a rough wheeze, air puffing out of his mouth from the impact. He was manhandled over, arms being pulled behind his back as he tasted the stray fibers from his carpet.  
  
The man finally managed to let out a groan, finding his voice amidst the chaos.  
  
“Good to see you again, Jaebum.” Minseok greeted happily as he sat on the man’s back, keeping a tight grip on his arms to prevent them from moving.  
  
“What do you think you’re doing? How did you get inside?” Jaebum asked the two immediate questions at the front of his mind. He had a hundred others to ask, but he figured he could simplify it down to those two.  
  
“Here’s the thing about living in a house—it’s easier to break into than a high-rise apartment building. Especially when you're as lax about security as you are. As for what I'm doing—I'm doing exactly what my contract tells me to do.” The assassin explained happily. Now that he had Jaebum still in his hands, he went about tying the man's hands, humming as he did so.

  
“I don’t remember asking you to break into my house, punch me in the face, and then tie me up in our contract.” The business man spat, beginning to become annoyed. “I have half a mind to get you killed and take back all the money I spent for you to kill Lu Han.”  
  
“Oh, I don’t mean _our_ contract.” Minseok said as he tugged Jaebum up forcefully, struggling a bit when the man refused to cooperate. “Jesus, stand the fuck up or else I’ll drag you.”  
  
It took a lot of dragging, half-hearted steps, and a quick kick in the ribs for Minseok to finally pull Jaebum to the living room, setting the businessman roughly on one of the couches. With that done, the assassin walked over to the front door, unlocking it and pulling it open. Much to Jaebum's sheer surprise and distaste, the man who walked in was the last person he had been expecting to see.  
  
“Why—what are you doing here? You’re supposed to be dead!”  
  
“What are you talking about? According to who?” Lu Han asked as he stepped into the house casually like he wasn't concerned about invading an enemy's territory. It was Minseok’s first time hearing the man speak in Korean, and honestly, he was impressed. It seemed his title as China’s ambassador in this country wasn’t for nothing.  
  
“According to this fuck up of an assassin I hired to _kill_ you! What the fuck!?” Jaebum yelled as he glanced over at Minseok. “What the fuck is this about!?”  
  
“Plot twist: Lu Han hired me to kill you instead of him. While I was going to say no at first, the idea of such an unexpected spin had me agreeing when I imagined what your face would be like.” Minseok said with a bright grin that betrayed the weight of his words. “You definitely didn’t let me down.”  
  
“Are you fucking kidding me? My partner will be hearing of this! He'll be out for your heads—I'll make sure he knows what you've done!” Jaebum shouted, the man beginning to struggle in his bonds. The threat had Minseok clicking his tongue. He walked over to the bound man and pressed a foot on the edge of his seat right between his legs.  
  
“Are you forgetting who I am? I kill people for a living… what makes you think you're going to be able to call your so called benefactor after we're done with you?” The smaller man asked.  
  
“Don’t kill him just yet—you know I need to ask him a few questions.” Lu Han said as he checked his phone. He then nodded towards the hallway, gesturing for Minseok to head that way. “Go  get what we need.”  
  
“Sure sure.” Minseok said as he quickly disappeared to another part of the house, leaving his ex and current contractor together alone. He quickly found the stairs and began opening the doors on the second floor one by one—not that there were many. The second door he found held what he was looking for, a body that had been sleeping on the bed startling at the loud sound of the door practically being kicked open. Minseok was over and grabbing the arm of the person in seconds, barely allowing the other time to react.  
  
Jaebum's wife began screaming as she was roughly dragged from the bed, still slightly disoriented from sleep but aware enough to know that something terribly wrong was occurring. Minseok paid no attention to her squealing and weak attempts of struggling out of his grip. He was much stronger than her and it took almost no effort in bringing her back to the living room where the other two were waiting. Jaebum's face came into sight—the man's expression already worried from the screams he had heard, but it only grew more infuriated when he saw his wife.  
  
“Don’t you _dare_ lay even a finger on her, or else!” He threatened. Minseok just looked at him with an unimpressed stare. He tilted his head curiously.  
  
“I’m still amazed at how you think anything you say or do will scare me into listening to what you say.” Minseok retorted. “I’m tempted to do the exact opposite of what you’re saying just because of how annoying you are.”  
  
“Now now, I still have business here.” Lu Han interjected. He turned to the man tied up before him. “I have a proposition, and if you're willing to concede, I feel it'll work out best for both of us.”  
  
“What the hell are you talking about? I want nothing to do with you or anything that you're offering!” Jaebum quickly spat. The strong resistance had Lu Han raising a brow.  
  
“I hadn’t even said anything yet.”  
  
“It’s probably just a bunch of bullshit anyway.”  
  
“Not at all—your life for a name. I feel that’s a pretty reasonable request.”  
  
“What the fuck are you talking about?”  
  
“What I want is the name of the person you're working under.” Lu Han explained with a sigh. He looked down at his hand and picked at his nails in boredom. “It’s a rather cliché line and I feel like I'm in some really bad mob movie or something, so I'd really rather keep this short and simple—I'm not into torture after all. I didn't bring your wife down here to use her pain to get answers out of you.”  
  
“This isn’t what we agreed to.” Minseok suddenly spoke, his expression dark.  
  
“Just shut up for a second,” Lu Han scolded halfheartedly. “Anyways, I'm not asking for much—I just want to know the name of the man who wanted me dead and I'll send you and your wife away alive with a small sum to keep you guys hiding until this whole situation is dealt with. Doesn't that seem like a fair enough deal?”  
  
Jaebum was silent, his face thoughtful, while the assassin stood there with a stormy expression. His grip on Jaebum's wife was only increasing, the woman whimpering in fear at the increasingly furious man.  
  
“Are you serious about what you say?” Jaebum asked, his tone carrying suspicion and doubt. Lu Han merely shrugged at the slight accusation.  
  
“Why would I lie about that? I'm not some kind of drug dealer or mafia boss—I'm not trying to go around killing everyone. It's better attack the source of the problem and buy out their allies instead.” The politician explained. “Besides, if I'm going to be running for office later, I'd like to keep my record as clean as I can.”  
  
“You promise then—you promise if I tell you, you'll let me and my wife go? And make sure that fucking mutt over there won't touch us?” Jaebum asked as he gestured over at Minseok with a jerk of his head. The insult had Minseok narrowing his eyes. His bloodthirst had already been at an all-time high thanks to Lu Han lying to him. Now Jaebum was just pushing his patience.  
  
“I promise.” Lu Han replied.  
  
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Minseok nearly shouted.  
  
“Jiang Wen. It was Jiang Wen who asked me to hire the assassin.” Jaebum confessed readily.  
  
“Jiang Wen? One of the candidates running against my father's seat as minister?”  
  
“Yes him. I have proof it's him—I've made multiple calls back and forth with his office and personal number, I can even give you my call records.” Jaebum said quickly, suddenly desperate now that he knew he could get away alive. Lu Han studied him for a long moment, as if he were regarding the man's statements and if he could trust them or not, before he looked away with a nod.  
  
“No need. I don't need your hand to look through your call logs.” The taller man turned and began walking towards the door. Minseok suddenly smiled, his stony expression melting away to reveal a more sly smile and relaxed stance.  
  
“Am I good now?” The assassin suddenly asked vaguely. Lu Han looked over his shoulder.  
  
“Yeah, sure. Don’t make too much of a mess though—even if I have cleaners, the less evidence you create, the better.” And with that, the man left.  
  
Jaebum's face fell as he stared at the man still holding onto his wife—who had now started crying. His face turned red with rage.  
  
“You _promised_! You said you wouldn’t kill us!”  
  
“You believed that? If that were the case, I wouldn't be here.” Minseok laughed. “Did you like my acting? Lu Han said it would work to get you to believe him easier, but I didn't think you'd fall for his sweet words so fast.”  
  
Minseok grabbed Jaebum's wife by the underside of her jaw, tilting her body back and forcibly exposing her throat. He ran the nail of his index finger over the exposed neck, mocking the motion of slicing it open. Jaebum was sputtering in fury, tugging at his binds and falling from his chair, struggling to come to his feet.  
  
“Say, Mrs. Park—who should I kill first to get the better reaction? You? Or your husband?” Minseok asked the sobbing woman who had become frozen with fear in Minseok’s grip, unable to even attempt escape anymore.  
  
“Me! Kill me! Spare my wife you sick fucking bastard!” Jaebum screamed, finally managing to turn himself onto his knees to push up into a standing position.  
  
“You’re right,” Minseok agreed as he pulled a knife from the holster at his hip. “She should go first.”  
  
He brought the blade down hard and fast into the soft, vulnerable area above her clavicle while Jaebum screamed in anger and lunged at Minseok in a frenzy.

The assassin smiled. His trip to China hadn't been for naught after all.

 

 

“It’s finished.” Minseok said when he emerged outside. Lu Han had been waiting by the car.  
  
“That was rather fast.” The politician commented, still speaking to the assassin in Korean. It came as a bit of a surprise to Minseok, who hadn’t really talked one-on-one with the man in his native language.  
  
“I like killing—not torturing.”  
  
“I beg to differ—you have a thing for mental torture. Don't try to act like you don't.” The taller man countered. The accusation only made Minseok shrug.  
  
“Well, I expect you to transfer that 100 million into the account I gave you by tomorrow morning. If you don't, I'll be coming for your ass again.”  
  
“Don’t worry about that. All the arrangements have been done.” Lu Han assured.  
  
“Good.” Minseok said with a nod. He smiled at the other, his expression somewhat tight, but otherwise fond. “This was kind of a strange encounter, but I’m not necessarily mad about it.”  
  
“Oh yeah?” Lu Han asked with a grin of his own.  
  
“Yeah—though you’re technically the first target I ever failed to kill, so I’m a bit mad about that I guess. Whatever though—it turned out fine in the end. Try not to get hitmen hired on your ass again.” Minseok said with a small wave as he turned around, ready to leave.  
  
The assassin had only managed to take two steps when he felt something sharp jab into the base of his neck. He threw his arm out, turning around quickly as he slapped away the hand of his assaulter, only to trip on his own feet as his world fell out of balance.  
  
“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that. I won’t be having that kind of problem again… for a long time.” Minseok vaguely heard Lu Han say under the haze quickly falling over his mind. He tried to push himself back up, but his hands felt drunk and they slipped out from under him.  
  
His head hit the pavement and his world fell black

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 02

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: nothing much this time

 

 

Minseok stood up on shaky legs, wiping away the blood at his mouth. He was mostly skin and bones—just like the other kids around him—having lost all the weight comfort and privilege had brought him in the years when he was younger.  
  
The adult in the room yelled at him calmly but loudly in a language he didn't understand. He may not have known what he was saying, but Minseok knew what he wanted.  
  
Get up. Try again. Fail and he wouldn't eat.  
  
So he got up and raised his fists again. His sparring partner was younger and shorter than Minseok, but the child continuously kicked his ass until he was beaten down and covered in bruises. Minseok tried to reason it as unfair advantage—unlike some of the other kids here, he hadn't grown up his whole life training like this.  
  
But that was what he had to do now, and Minseok wasn't going to skip out on his dinner without a fight.

 

**❉❉❉**

 

"I have... a proposition."  
  
" _Fuck off_ ," Minseok growled angrily, spitting onto the floor by where he was sitting and staining the concrete ground with a wet spot. "You always have some damn proposition—I don't want to fucking hear it. I fell for it the first time, and I saw you manipulate Jaebum—like hell I'm going to let you feed me your bullshit again."  
  
"You have a point," Lu Han laughed as he leaned back slightly, his hands in his pockets. He was standing in the center of the room where Minseok had woken up in, cornered against the wall with his hands and legs cuffed while he faced the politician and four other bodyguards. He had been stripped of all his weapons and left in just his boxer briefs and tank top. Defenseless and vulnerable—the worst state he could find himself in. "Then I won't make you a proposition. This is a threat—I need you to work for me, and until I'm finished with my business, I'll be keeping you in China. Failure to comply will have unfavorable results for you."  
  
"What?" Minseok scoffed, his smile mocking. "Like killing me?"  
  
"No—I know that when faced with inevitable death, that kind of thing doesn't scare you. But," Lu Han stepped closer till he was a few feet away from the other man and knelt down. "There are plenty of other ways to make you very afraid."  
  
"I don't think anything you have in mind can possibly match up to the things I've been through." Minseok argued, staring at the other man dead in the eye without breaking contact.  
  
"Maybe. Maybe not. The only way to find out is if you don't cooperate." Lu Han said vaguely with a shrug. He didn't seem particularly bothered by Minseok's resistance, and the complete nonchalance of his attitude was boggling the assassin's mind. The smaller male had expected the politician to be more frustrated with his stubbornness—had been expecting to see a crack in the perfect mask that Lu Han had put up before him—but no such luck. Lu Han really did seem to be unconcerned about Minseok's choice, and it made Minseok nervous. The man acted like he knew he was going to get what he wanted in the end, and it made Minseok wonder if he really did have some kind of method that could potentially work against him and make him suffer something worse than death.  
  
The politician was something of an enigma. He was too calm for Minseok's liking. He didn't act in the way Minseok expected of rich and privileged little boys.  
  
And maybe that was the reason why—despite being the successful assassin that he was—he felt fear. Fear of the other man's indifference. Minseok couldn't understand what Lu Han was thinking or what he was expecting. It bothered him, and Minseok wasn't the type to be scared of others easily. Not after what he had been through.  
  
"So what will it be?" Lu Han asked when the silence had gone on too long. "If it makes you feel better, I'll make sure the end result will be worth it for you. It will only turn out as a win-win situation for both of us if you agree."  
  
"Taking away my freedom isn't a 'win-win' situation." Minseok said blandly.  
  
"Touche. Still, for someone of your skills, it'll only be a few small jobs and you'll be free to go. What do you say?" Lu Han offered with a smile.  
  
"... If it's just that and then you'll get off my ass, fine. Whatever—as long as it gets me out of these cuffs and back on my feet again. And also if you let me land one punch on you."  
  
The petulance had the politician laughing.  
  
"Maybe we can arrange that, sure." Lu Han said as he turned to look at his guards. He nodded at them, and two of them stepped forward to undo the assassin's binds. Once Minseok was free, he shoved the men away and stood up, rubbing at his wrists where the metal had slightly rubbed the skin raw. He closed the distance between him and Lu Han and without warning, reeled back his arm and thrusted it forward, aiming for the taller man's face. Instead of taking it like Minseok had hoped Lu Han would do, the man raised his arm in the split second it took for the politician to realize exactly what Minseok was intending and managed to block the hit. The assassin glared at him.  
  
"You promised me one punch."  
  
"I did," Lu Han agreed, amused by the other's antics. "You didn't specify where though."  
  
"Fuck you." Minseok seethed. He pulled away nonetheless, not interested in starting a fight with five people in the room. "So? What kind of 'work' exactly will I be doing for the great deputy director?" Sarcasm was dripping in his tone.  
  
"The only work you _would_ do, of course. I just need you to take out a few names for me. Once they're eliminated and everything seems to be going the way I need it to be, I'll let you go free with a nice payment. Sound good?" Lu Han explained.  
  
"It doesn't sound _good_ but it doesn't sound bad either." Minseok reluctantly agreed, crossing his arms in annoyance. "My main question is why me though."  
  
"You gave me the idea to use an assassin," Lu Han admitted with a shrug. "And you were right there."  
  
"... You didn't even think to hire your own assassin instead of kidnapping me?"  
  
"I mean, I could've, but I don't even know where to begin looking, and you were the nearest one. Plus, based on what I've observed, you seem to be more knowledgeable and skilled in your practice than the other hitmen that have come for me. Why would I let such a large opportunity like that go?"  
  
The compliment, though it came from a person Minseok wasn't necessarily happy with, managed to make the black haired man puff his chest out in pride, lips pressed in a thin line. Not that he needed Lu Han's approval to stroke his ego with, but Minseok knew he was good and having other people acknowledge that always pleased him. At this rate, he figured it wouldn't be too bad working with the politician after all.  
  
"I hate how good with words you are." Minseok grumbled. The statement had Lu Han grinning instead, his stance becoming more laid back and relaxed despite standing in front of someone that could potentially end his life.  
  
"It's necessary for my trade. Of course I'd be good at it." He said.  
  
"Of course—now, if you would be so kind as to returning my pants and gear, I would really appreciate it."  
  
After Minseok was properly dressed—though his weapons were not returned to him, much to the man's chagrin—Lu Han led them outside the building where he had been keeping Minseok. The elder's mouth could only drop open in awe as he took in his surroundings left and right, baffled at where he was.  
  
"How did you bring me back to China while I was fucking unconscious?" He asked.  
  
"I said you had medical issues." Lu Han laughed, narrowly dodging a swing in his direction from the mad assassin. His bodyguards quickly stepped in, separating the two of them so Minseok was caged between four bodies. A damn hassle, but Minseok figured it wouldn't be for much longer.  
  
They were heading towards the center of Beijing—where the buildings were the most crowded and the streets were overrun with bodies of people all with someplace to be. Stuck in a car as they were, the travel was slow. Minseok busied himself with playing with his hands in his lap while he stared aimlessly out the window. Lu Han on the other hand placed his head back against the headrest of his seat and promptly closed his eyes. He was sleeping softly approximately ten minutes later, and Minseok spared one glance in disbelief at the younger man's disregard for danger. Just because Minseok had agreed to work for him didn't mean that the assassin wasn't still capable of harming him—the man was a wonder. Minseok was honestly impressed he had managed to stay alive for this long even with other people trying to kill him if he was this unguarded all the time.  
  
When the car finally pulled over and came to a stop—the jerk effectively waking the politician—Minseok turned to Lu Han.  
  
"Where are we going?"  
  
"We're gonna go plan our first method of attack." Lu Han responded with a stretch and a yawn. "And pick up any things you need."  
  
Minseok followed Lu Han cautiously. They walked the crowded streets before splitting off to a narrower alley, climbing stone steps that led deeper and deeper into the maze of buildings. Only one of Lu Han's guards had followed them this time—the reasoning being something about it being too conspicuous. Minseok felt that Lu Han himself was already plenty conspicuous, but with how packed the streets were, it would be hard to pick out Lu Han alone, especially on something as grainy as a security camera recording.  
  
The politician led their little trio into a small shop tucked away within the stone constructions, the interior dimly lit and lined with display cases that were barred with rusted metal, resembling a cage. Minseok turned towards Lu Han.  
  
"How does someone like _you_ —the son of the minister of Foreign Affairs—know about this kind of shop in the middle of absolutely nowhere?" The assassin questioned. It didn't take an idiot to figure out where Lu Han had taken him. Based on the contents of the cases, it was a firearms shop—a very illegal one at that.  
  
"It's not in the middle of nowhere." Lu Han countered childishly.  
  
"You know what I fucking meant."  
  
"If you think I wouldn't know about this kind of shop, you clearly didn't do a very thorough investigation about me and what I do outside of my normal job then." Lu Han teased with a knowing smile. Of course Minseok wouldn't know about that though. No matter how much the assassin dug, the chances of him finding about the dealings he and his father did were slim to none. It was thanks to Lu Han's efforts that their underground businesses were under such tight wraps. With his watchful eye, he'd make sure there would be absolutely no evidence leading back to him.  
  
The taunt riled up his desired reaction, the smaller man bristling with anger at being ridiculed.  
  
"If I had stayed in China longer, I would have found out eventually." Minseok argued. The claim made Lu Han snort, the very idea of it hilarious. "Don't fucking patronize me!"  
  
"I'm not, I'm not." Lu Han lied through his teeth.  
  
"Well, since I'm not investigating you and trying to kill you anymore, why don't you just tell me the reason why you know of this weaponry's existence?" Minseok insisted.  
  
Lu Han leaned over, nearly in Minseok's space, and reached out to grab the man's cheeks with one hand, thumb on the right and his fingers on the left side, over his mouth. He squeezed, making Minseok's lips pucker. Too shocked at the contact to do anything, the smaller man just stared.  
  
"Don't worry too much about it. I'll tell you maybe when the time comes, but it's not necessary for you to know to do your job correctly. Right? Isn't that your code of conduct or something?" Lu Han asked. Minseok shook himself from his stupor and slapped the other man's hand away from him, glaring at the taller with all his might. He turned away and walked further into the shop, browsing the items there instead of responding to Lu Han. The politician followed after him, a smile on his face due to Minseok's continuously amusing reactions.  
  
"Before you start randomly selecting weapons you want based solely on the fact that you want to use them to kill me, don't you want to hear about who I have in mind first?" Lu Han suggested when he caught Minseok staring a little too long at a machete.  
  
"Sure," Minseok answered belatedly. He turned towards his hirer, finding him gesturing to the side room that the assassin hadn't noticed at first. Minseok followed him inside, glancing around the small area in curiosity. Lu Han sat down first, the guard that had followed them inside stepping in after them and standing by the politician's side. He pulled out a manila folder from seemingly nowhere and handed it to his boss, which Lu Han then placed on the table for Minseok to pick up.  
  
"His name is Si Yi Chen. He's not anyone big, but he's a good place to start in the plans I have. His death won't be very missed by the public, so you won't have to worry about any police trying to track you down." Lu Han explained. Minseok picked up the folder and scanned through its contents.  
  
"You have his name, personal details, family registry, criminal record, _and_ his address? How the heck did you get so much information on this guy?" Minseok couldn't help but wonder in awe.  
  
"In case you forgot, I'm the deputy director of the foreign affairs management department. If I have access to individuals that aren't even from China, getting one of a citizen is nothing. Plus—I may happen to know him. Personally." Lu Han admitted.  
  
"According to your files, he's a drug trafficker. Why and how would you know a drug trafficker? Does it have anything to do with the fact that you also know about this store?"  
  
"Perhaps," The man answered vaguely. "Like I said, you'll figure it out in due time. For now, just concentrate on formulating a plan of taking him out based on the abundance of resources I've given you."  
  
"With all this, it'll be a fucking walk in the park." Minseok asserted as he threw the folder onto the table. The attitude had Lu Han smiling fondly, happy to hear such confidence. "Though I do want you to at least answer one thing for me straight forward."  
  
"And what's that?"  
  
"What _is_ your plan exactly? What are you trying to achieve by having me kill a few choice people?" Minseok asked.  
  
"There's someone I want to kill that's been a threat to me and my business. He's not someone you can just get rid of and everything will be fine though. Someone will just take his place and the cycle will repeat again. I need to isolate him—kill his support and pillars until he's truly alone—and then I'll have you deliver the judgement he deserves and bring about a new era." Lu Han explained readily.  
  
"And who is that?" Minseok probed. Lu Han just tilted his head and grinned.  
  
"You'll just have to wait until it's time to go after him. For now, just concentrate on your current target. In all honesty, the less information you know, the better."  
  
Though he didn't necessarily like his answer, Minseok didn't pry any further. Lu Han was dead set on keeping Minseok mostly in the dark, and in all honesty, it really wasn't any of his business to know. He just had to do the job in front of him—that was always how he worked.  
  
But he couldn't help but feel curious about Lu Han's whole situation. The politician was truly a mystery—from surviving hitmen to having a darker side to him than Minseok had initially thought—there were all kinds of things about the man that didn't add up. It made Minseok want to know, even though he was usually strictly all about business. There was only one other person in his life that made him feel like this—the need and want to know more about an individual. It wasn't a common feeling that Minseok experienced.  
  
"Whatever then," Minseok conceded. "If he's really as throwaway as you say, I could probably have him out within 24 hours."  
  
"I like that confidence of yours." Lu Han laughed. "I'll treat you to some nice food afterwards as your reward."  
  
"Don't treat me like I'm a fucking dog," Minseok spat. "I don't need you acting all friendly with me when it's your fault I'm stuck in this godforsaken country in the first place."  
  
"Don't be like that—I said that I would make it worth it for you in the end." Lu Han frowned. "Just tell me what you want to eat."  
  
Minseok just stared at the other man for a moment, distrustful of the politician and his words. Eventually, he caved. The assassin made a petulant expression as he looked down at his feet, debating on if he should say what was on his mind or not.  
  
"Hot pot..." He mumbled quietly.  
  
"Pardon?"  
  
"I want to eat hot pot." Minseok said louder, refusing to make eye contact with Lu Han. He turned towards the entrance of the separate room and began walking out. "I'm going to choose a weapon."  
  
The assassin left the other man in the other room, the grin on Lu Han's face too big to hide.

 

**❉❉❉**

  
  
"Detective—Park is on the phone." One man called out from where he was leaning back in his chair. Kyungsoo nodded in acknowledgement, not taking his eyes off his computer.  
  
"Put him on my line." The detective said. He waited till the phone on his desk rang and picked it up immediately. "Did you find him?"  
  
"5 kilometers outside the estimated search radius, but yeah, we found 'em. Cause of death most likely from stab wounds—he had two of them." His partner answered from over the phone.  
  
"I'll be right over. I'll continue the conversation when I get there." Kyungsoo said as he quickly hung up the phone and stood up, grabbing his jacket. His movements caught the attention of the other officers in the area.  
  
"Heading out?" One officer asked as Kyungsoo was getting ready. The detective looked up at him—Kim Jongin, recently transferred to their branch and relatively new. He mostly dealt with the paperwork.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Does it have to do with the Park Jaebum case?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Jongin looked surprised to hear that.  
  
"So he wasn't just missing after all..." The man muttered as Kyungsoo walked past him. The officer looked like he wanted to say more, but the detective was in too much of a hurry to keep a conversation. The scene of the crime was a good two hour drive away, and he had to get there as soon as possible.  
  
Traffic was about as expected, and even after arriving in the countryside mountain side where the body was found, Kyungsoo still had to trek through the terrain to where his partner and the rest of the search team had found Park Jaebum's body. He followed the directions he was given until he found the police tape—his team was standing by the edge of a small creek where the body had apparently washed up. His partner was the first to spot him.  
  
"Soo! You made it," Chanyeol called as he bumbled his way over the dirt and twigs to hurry to the detective's side.  
  
"I told you to call me detective Do when we're working, Park." Kyungsoo said coldly. He tugged disposable plastic gloves from the offered box Chanyeol held in front of him and pulled them over his hands. "Did you find anything new on the body or in the surrounding area since I last talked to you?"  
  
"Not much luck... We didn't mess with the body too much in case we disrupted anything that could help you more than us. Otherwise, he was dumped pretty cleanly. Not much on him except for the clothes on his body." Chanyeol informed the detective as the pair made their way over to the body. Kyungsoo knelt down next to the corpse. Jaebum was pale white and his flesh was all kinds of bloated from the water. It was quite the ugly sight.  
  
"Did you check his pockets?"  
  
"Not yet sir." Chanyeol replied.  
  
Kyungsoo leaned in, ignoring the blanched look his partner gave him for being in such close proximity to the decaying and awful smelling body.  
  
"His skin is mostly intact—probably only died about two or three days ago, based on the condition of his body, but we won't know for sure until the autopsy results come in." Kyungsoo deduced. He shoved his hands in the man's pockets and came up empty. "If it weren't for the fact that we know he was killed at home—based on his attire—I would guess he was killed outside of work. Who wears a suit in their own house?"  
  
"Speaking of that," Chanyeol began anxiously. He scratched the back of his neck. "How did you manage to figure out it was a murder and that this guy wasn't just MIA?"  
  
"There was glass in the carpet in front of the window." Kyungsoo stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world.  
  
"Glass? But there were no broken windows?"  
  
"Compared to the rest of the house, the window panel installed in the hallway where I found the glass shards was newer than any of the other windows in the house. Whoever killed Jaebum wanted to make it look like they were never there—however, they didn't do a very good job of cleaning up." The detective explained. He went about inspecting the torso of the body as he talked to Chanyeol.  
  
"Replacing a whole window...? Why go through all the trouble..."  
  
"Who knows—it's our job to figure it out. Whoever killed him wasn't just some neighborhood hoodlum though, nor was it anyone desperate for money. Nothing was stolen—except for the owners of the house, of course." Kyungsoo said. He ran his gloved fingers over the two stab wounds on the man's chest. One was right over his heart, and the other pierced right through his collar bone. "Based on the positioning, the killer is right handed. The stab wounds are deep, precise, and even managed to cut through bone... most likely a male and possibly experienced. Based on the angles, the killer most likely confronted him head and struck the weapon downwards."  
  
"There were no other marks or signs of struggle on the body though. Is it possible he was drugged?" Chanyeol asked.  
  
"It's a possibility... When we did a sweep of the apartment though, our tests found no drug residue in the tumbler that was left out or the open bottle of liquor. I guess it's a question of how the intruder managed to drug Jaebum.  
  
"Detective Do," Chanyeol suddenly called. The detective looked over at his partner to see the giant pointing at something lower on the corpse. Kyungsoo followed his line of sight down towards the victim's hands. "There—on his wrist."  
  
Kyungsoo grabbed the man's heavy and bloated arm and lifted it up slightly to get a closer look at what Chanyeol could possibly be talking about. There along the man's wrist was a faint line of bruising.  
  
"Nice catch Park," Kyungsoo praised with a smile. "The man was bound. That explains why the killer was able to land such strong hits without any other signs of struggle."  
  
"This whole situation keeps getting weirder and weirder." Chanyeol said with a light head scratch. "So this means the killer either tied him up while he was asleep, or somehow rendered him immobile enough to do it then."  
  
"Based on all this, he seems to be both skilled and have money. The motive behind this is what confuses me the most." Kyungsoo pondered. "What of the wife? Has she been found yet?"  
  
"Not yet. We're still looking in the area, since it is a well known area for dumping bodies, but at this rate, we're afraid she won't turn up." Chanyeol said with a shake of his head.  
  
"I see... Well, I think we got as much information from the body as we could just by ourselves. It's probably a good idea to start asking people in the area if they saw anything. I still find it odd that Park Jaebum's neighbors didn't hear or see a single thing the night before they were reported missing. I don't like how this feels." The detective sighed as he stood up. He tugged off his gloves and quietly disposed them in a plastic bag while the rest of the team prepared laying the corpse in a body bag to be transported back to the pathology lab.  
  
"On it sir!" Chanyeol saluted dutifully. The strong response made Kyungsoo smile fondly at his partner's energy.  
  
"Let's head into the village then."  
  
The walk back up the mountain took much longer than going down, but thankfully it wasn't too far from where the investigation was taking place. Kyungsoo wagered that in such a small town, anything that wasn't familiar or routine to the villagers would definitely stand out. He hoped that they would be willing to cooperate—since he was well aware that communities such as these didn't do well with outsiders.  
  
"Excuse me—" Kyungsoo called out to an elder woman who was working out on the garden fields—the whole countryside seemed to be filled with them and rice paddies.  
  
The woman looked up, disdain clear even on her sweaty face. She patted her lower back as she stood up straight.  
  
"I have a few questions to ask, if you have some time to spare." Kyungsoo said as politely as he could. The woman waved her hand.  
  
"I'm busy, too busy. Ask someone else." She dismissed the detective easily and went back to doing her work. Kyungsoo sighed at the rejection and gestured with his head for Chanyeol to follow him down the road in hopes of finding someone else who could help them. Behind him, his partner chuckled.  
  
"You gotta be more approachable than that, Soo." The man advised. "Otherwise no one's gonna wanna talk to you."  
  
"I _am_ being approachable. I'm being as polite as I can possibly be." Kyungsoo tried to reason.  
  
"Did you forget to put on contact lenses today?" Chanyeol simply asked.  
  
When the detective didn't answer, his partner busted out laughing. Kyungsoo reached over and delivered a swift punch into the taller man's arm in reprimand.  
  
"If you think it's so easy then _you_ do it."  
  
"Sure, I can do that for you." Chanyeol said easily. The assistant quickly spotted the next person. It was another woman—slightly younger than the first one, but still quite older than both Chanyeol and Kyungsoo. She was pulling a cart full of trash, most likely going to deliver it to recycling. Chanyeol waved at her excitedly until the woman noticed the frantic movement and looked up, making eye contact with the excited man.  
  
"Excuse me, ma'am!" Chanyeol called cheerfully. He ran over to the woman and placed his hands on the handle of the cart. "Would you like me to help you? It looks really heavy."  
  
Kyungsoo watched as the woman tried to object, saying that it was her job and that she didn't mind—that the place that she was trying to reach wasn't very far away. With that information, Chanyeol insisted that he helped her the rest of the way so she could use that moment to take a break. The giant took the cart handles away from the woman and began pushing it down the road while he conversed easily with the older lady about the part time jobs he used to do that eventually led to what kind of foods he enjoyed eating on summer days. Kyungsoo followed after them silently, wondering what in the world the man was doing.  
  
When they finally reached their destination a few short moments later, the woman thanked Chanyeol with a warm smile, wrinkled hands patting his arm appreciatively. Chanyeol laughed along with her, his smile infectious.  
  
"Oh, by the way—we're with the KNPA. We're doing an investigation in the area due to the body we found recently." The tall man suddenly explained, eyes wide and expressive. The woman gasped and covered her mouth.  
  
"Oh my... a body? That's terrible..." She lamented.  
  
"Yes... it's truly heartbreaking. I'm sorry that I had to tell you this—I don't want you to feel unsafe in your own home after all. But it would really help us out if you could tell us anything strange or unusual that you've seen or heard the past couple of days." Chanyeol implored. "Do you remember anything from, let's say, two or three days ago?"  
  
"Hm... I can't say for sure..." The woman hummed as she thought. With her gaze shifted elsewhere, Chanyeol turned back towards Kyungsoo and gave a big smile and a wink. The detective rolled his eyes. He stepped forward.  
  
"If you don't remember anything—or if you didn't see anything strange—do you think you could direct us to anyone that may have seen or heard anything? Say, perhaps someone who lives close to the main road or close to the path by those mountains?"  
  
"Oh yes," The woman said excitedly. "My girlfriend Yerim lives over there." She gestured vaguely.  
  
"Girlfriend?" Chanyeol asked with raised brows.  
  
"Yes, my friend. She's a lady." The woman chuckled. "Now that you mention it, she did say yesterday over dinner that a strange car had pulled up near her home."  
  
Suddenly, Kyungsoo and Chanyeol were alert, their attentions solely focused on her words.  
  
"Did she see who was inside the car? Did they come out?" Kyungsoo pressed.  
  
"I'm not sure. She didn't say—she just told me it was a large black car—a van perhaps? Wasn't anything you see around here at least."  
  
"Did she say about what time it pulled up?"  
  
"Oh... let me see... I think she said it was very early in the morning? Just before the sun fully rose. Maybe close to 6 in the morning?"  
  
"Chanyeol," Kyungsoo whipped around, turning so fast it scared the taller man. "Call headquarters and tell them to go through the traffic security feed around 3-4 a.m. It takes two hours to get here from Seoul, and based where Jaebum lived, it's possible it could have taken a little longer. Check for a big, black van taking the exit from the highway onto the road that leads here."  
  
"Yes sir!" Chanyeol called as he quickly pulled out his phone and began dialing. Kyungsoo turned back to the confused woman who wasn't expecting such frantic reactions from the two men.  
  
"Thank you very much ma'am. You helped us quite a bit with this. If anything else comes up or if anyone else says anything, please, call this number. It'll connect right to me." The detective said as he handed the lady his business card that had his phone number on it. She took it and eyed it scrutinizingly. Kyungsoo glanced over at Chanyeol for a brief moment before turning back to her. "Even if nothing comes up, please call me, so I can bring you some nice tea and honey. My aunt happens to run a bee farm—their raw honey is quite good."  
  
That had the woman smiling brightly. Kyungsoo bowed his goodbyes with his promise while the woman waved them off. Chanyeol followed after Kyungsoo's steps back towards the investigation area in the mountain, his call with headquarters ending shortly after. They walked in silence for a moment before the assistant was laughing.  
  
"Yes, I get it," Kyungsoo started before the other could say anything. "I get what you mean by being approachable. No need to rub it in my face."  
  
"I didn't say anything." Chanyeol retorted with a shake of his head and a big grin. He jolted away just in time to dodge the shorter man's fist aiming for his kidneys.  
  
  


**❉❉❉**

 

Minseok leaned against the wall of his rented hotel room, polishing his gun. He had settled for the old snipe plan once Lu Han informed him that his target—Si Yi Chen—would be coming out of a specific building after making a deal. It wasn't as if Minseok didn't question how the politician knew of such information, but he quickly realized that Lu Han wasn't going to be telling him anything. Minseok never regretted saying 'if it's not necessary for the job, I don't need to know' more than now. Lu Han was just too full of puzzles and mysteries for Minseok to resist curiosity.  
  
He had set up in his room an hour before Si Yi Chen was scheduled to arrive, and it was a good thing he did. The man had arrived a whole half hour early. Now the only thing left to do was to wait for the man to make a reappearance. Minseok had already assembled his gun—checked to make sure everything was calibrated correctly—and all that was left was to tick off the safety and pull the trigger.  
  
There was one thing that was bugging him though. Minseok turned to look towards the center of the hotel room.  
  
"Why the fuck are you here anyway?" The assassin asked the man that was nonchalantly sipping coffee on the couch.  
  
"I wanted to watch." Lu Han replied honestly. "Plus, do you even have a plan of escape once everyone else staying in the hotel inevitably hears the gunshot?"  
  
"I did, until you decided to come along." Minseok scolded. He turned back to the window. "Turn off the lights would you?"  
  
Lu Han stood up with a sigh as he crossed the room to comply with the elder's request. When he wasn't exercising his intelligence and power, Lu Han was surprisingly docile and was quick to smile. It was a bit unnerving to know that the man had two sides to him that he could easily switch between.  
  
With the room dark, Minseok opened the window and positioned his rifle just at the ledge. He peered through the scope, ready to aim once his target exited the building. There were only two entrances—the front doors, and a side that led into an alleyway. Minseok had a clear view of both, so he didn't have to worry about Si Yi Chen slipping away.  
  
"How long is this going to take?" Lu Han drawled slightly. He was already finished with his mug of coffee.  
  
"If all you were going to do was complain, you shouldn't have came in the first place." Minseok snapped. "Having you here just attracts more attention."  
  
"I'm wearing a sweater and jeans aren't I? And I had sunglasses and a face mask on—no will recognize me."  
  
"No one will recognize you but when the police ask if they saw anyone suspicious the receptionist is certainly going to remember your creepy ass." Minseok retorted. The side door of the building he was watching suddenly opened up.  
  
"All I'm saying is that even though I look like—"  
  
"Shut up—right now." Minseok cut in. He heard Lu Han move, but the man stayed quiet otherwise. He ignored the presence he felt closing in behind him and took aim of Si Yi Chen's head. If he were further away, Minseok may have opted to be safe and aim for the body, but at this distance, he didn't have to fear the risk of missing. It was too easy.  
  
He pulled the trigger, the gunshot deafening in the small room even with a silencer on the end of the barrel. Minseok only looked long enough to see the first droplets of blood splattering and the man's head whip back. He shot up from where he had been sitting by the window, mouth open and ready to call for Lu Han to get moving, but the politician was already by the door, gripping the handle and prepared to dash out at a moment’s notice. He raised his brow at the assassin, to which Minseok just narrowed his eyes and bolted for the door.  
  
Lu Han pushed open the door and the pair ran down the hall as quietly as they could—the taller man's steps falling heavier and louder than the trained assassin. They reached the end, where Minseok tossed open the window and climbed out onto the emergency staircase lining the side of the building. Lu Han followed after, his sorry excuse for a disguise on, as he laughed.  
  
"This is the most fun I've had in awhile." The man exclaimed as he followed Minseok down the stairs.  
  
"Shut the fuck up and save your breath for running."  
  
"It's fine, the car is waiting just down the block. Besides, running through the streets will make us look even more suspicious." Lu Han pointed out. Minseok ignored him in favor of dismantling his sniper rifle while he ran. It was a bit messy, but it would have to make do. He had the excess burden of a package running with him this time, so the execution of his escape was a bit lacking.  
  
"I fucking hate you." Minseok shoved the main gun parts into the backpack he was carrying while he tossed away the longer barrel into the alleyway they were running down. Lu Han watched him do so with his mouth open.  
  
"I paid a lot of money for that you know." The man lamented.  
  
"Save it. It was easier carrying it with it sticking out of my bag when we got here 'cuz the car dropped us off, but I can't have it so obviously in sight when we're walking down the street where cameras and people could possibly see and become suspicious. This small part can always be replaced so don't make such a big fuss." Minseok reached the mouth of the alley and slowed to a walk, controlling his breathing. He stepped out into the main street, seeing confused citizens wandering around and staring in the direction where Si Yi Chen's body would undoubtedly be found. He looked up at the hotel, seeing faces peer out from the windows—just as he had planned. Even with people being in such close proximity to the gunshot, their first instinct would be to look out the windows. They wouldn't even think to check the hallway until it was too late and they were long gone.  
  
Minseok glanced over at Lu Han to make sure he was alright, but the man was already walking in the direction where the car was supposed to pick them up. The assassin followed after him, pulling his own hood over his head for good measure. The politician didn't seem to be too out of breath. It made Minseok wonder if he practiced any sports in his off time.  
  
"By the way," Lu Han said quietly as he slowed his steps to walk beside the smaller male. "Those pants look really tight on your ass. Are you sure those are the best choice for making quick getaways?"  
  
The black haired man turned, affronted, and nearly stopped in his steps. He willed himself to keep walking though, trying not to let Lu Han's words affect him too much.  
  
" _Yes_ , they're fine." He insisted.  
  
"They look like they'll split down the crotch if you run too hard though, if I'm gonna be honest."  
  
"It's _fine_!" Minseok yelled, the tips of his ears beginning to turn red. He shoved the other male away by the arm, offended by the politician's laughter. "It creates less drag and I don't have to worry about it snagging on anything unpredictable. It's why you'll never see assassins wear stupid shit like hoodies or capes. And it's flexible enough it won't tear—jesus fucking christ."  
  
"What I find more interesting about this situation is how offended you are." Lu Han laughed harder. "I'm only judging you a little bit, no need to get so upset. Besides—they look good on you."  
  
"I still have a knife and I'm more than happy to use it on you if need be." The shorter male threatened. Lu Han held up his hands in surrender, though the shit-eating grin on his face never left. Minseok walked faster, stepping ahead of the other to quickly make it back to the car. He ignored the low whistle Lu Han called after him, gritting his teeth and bearing with the humiliation as he resisted the urge to swing around and clothesline the man's neck.  
  
They made it back to the car with no problems at all, Minseok all but diving into the backseat. His isolation didn't last long, unfortunately, with Lu Han quickly climbing in after him.  
  
"We're done for the day, right?" Minseok asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Then take me home. I'm tired."  
  
Lu Han laughed at the request. Minseok turned to stare at the other, confused.  
  
"If you think I'm going to let you out of my sight, you're sorely mistaken." Lu Han explained with a chuckle. The statement made the elder’s brows furrow in annoyance.  
  
"And you honestly think you're going to be able to keep me with you every hour, minute, and second of the day? Being stuck to your side for so long will drive me insane—I might just end up killing you instead." Minseok said coldly.  
  
"Just because you're threatening my life won't adverse me from keeping you close. I'll have a place set up for you where you'll be properly monitored. Until then, you'll be coming with me." Lu Han stated. Based on his tone, the man wouldn't budge. "Besides—you won't kill me. It won't benefit you to do so, and you'll never be able to leave China if you do." He smiled.  
  
Minseok just crossed his arms and leaned back against his seat, huffing. He understood why Lu Han made the decision he did—but it certainly didn't mean he liked it. Though if he were in Lu Han's position, he wouldn't trust him either, Minseok supposed.  
  
He sat quietly for the rest of the car ride, staring out the window while he wondered where Lu Han would put him. They ended up driving back to the man's high rise apartment. Minseok immediately blanched.  
  
"I'm not sleeping under the same roof as you..." The shorter man said. Lu Han turned to him with a big smile.  
  
"Of course not—I was going to set you up with my bodyguards. Were you thinking that you'd get to sleep in the same bed as me?" The man teased.  
  
"No!" Minseok shouted in disdain. The elder loved to pride himself on his patience, but the taller man was beginning to wear it to a very thin line that even Minseok hadn't thought was possible. The assassin bristled and turned away, glaring at the guards that were with him. "Hurry up and lead the way so I can get away from this man."  
  
"See you tomorrow, Minseok." Lu Han called after their retreating forms. Minseok opted not to say anything.  
  
That night when Minseok slept under the watchful eye of guards and cameras, he dreamed of his past again. Later he would blame it on the fact that there have been so many disruptions in his life as of late that brought of memories of the past—memories that he was trying to escape.  
  
He first dreamt of that one fateful day when he was eight years old. He felt the strong hands of his father picking him up from the ground, saw the blood that had stained the tips of his socks, felt his tears on his shoulder as he hugged his son with everything he could. Minseok remembered feeling stuffy—that he wanted to tell his father to let go because everything was fine. He knew things weren't fine though—his father never cried—so he didn't say anything.  
  
Warm hands turned cold and hard though. What was once a familiar touch became strange, and Minseok's dream shifted to a time later in his life. He was older, taller, and stronger. Yet despite leaving behind everything he had once known, there was one thing that had remained with him.  
  
"Isn't he the son of that one guy?”  
  
Minseok stirred.  
  
“That international agent that got famous for taking out a globally wanted warlord?" Minseok heard one of the guards whisper as he came to from his sleep. It was a bit hard to understand the language coming straight from sleep, but it was enough for Minseok to gather that they were talking about him. He held as still as he possibly could on the couch, keeping his eyes closed and his breathing slow so they wouldn't notice he had awoken.  
  
"Who?" A different guard asked.  
  
"I heard about that guy. Not that I know much about him though." Another added.  
  
"I was in Korea for a bit a long time ago—was escorting some guy around that had business there. His death was all over the news, and there were pictures of his son circulating around because he had mysteriously gone missing. He's grown a bit since then—but he resembles his father more now. I hadn't realized it at first, but now I'm positive it's the missing kid." The first guard that had spoken explained. Minseok clenched his hands into fists.  
  
"Is that so?" The third guard mused. "Who would've thought? Son of the most respected agent—a hero to the civilians—turns back up as a cold blooded killer. What a let down."  
  
"I'm more surprised he isn't dead to be honest. Most kids that go missing like that are either sold or killed."  
  
"Either way, I'm not sure how I feel about our employer suddenly hiring an 'assassin' of all things. Leaves a bad taste in my mouth..."  
  
"He's paying us good to keep our mouth shut though. Don't ruin this for us."  
  
"Pay or not, I didn't work my ass off to become the bodyguard of some corrupt government official." The second guard stated firmly.  
  
"... Is he new?" The first guard asked the third guy.  
  
"Yeah. He doesn't know."  
  
Minseok had heard enough at that point. While not very dangerous people, their ideologies were.  
  
Plus, they had pissed Minseok off, so he was going to take matters into his own hands.  
  
The next morning when Lu Han personally arrived at the guard's room after his calls were left unanswered, he was met with a rather astonishing surprise. All of the men that had been tasked with watching over the assassin were lying on the floor, passed out cold. There was a suspicious smear of blood on the floor, but nothing too drastic. In the center of it all, Minseok sat on the couch with a cup of coffee. At the politician's entrance, the man turned.  
  
"I want new clothes. I haven't taken a decent shower and I have no spare shirts." The black haired man said like there was nothing wrong. Lu Han just tilted his head slowly, inspecting the strange scenario in front of him. He gauged his words, thinking about how he would say what he wanted to say.  
  
"Before that... would you mind explaining what all this is about?" Lu Han decided to say. Minseok sipped at his coffee.  
  
"They were having ideas. Bad ideas. They didn't like how the guy they worked for was suddenly affiliated with an assassin—they were probably going to report you. So I knocked them out. What I really should have done was kill them, but I figured I'd get your opinion on it first before I decided to end their pitiful lives." The shorter man replied.  
  
"... Is that so?" Lu Han hummed. In all honesty, he was surprised that Minseok hadn't made a run for it. He had hoped that his hired men would be enough to stop Minseok in case worst came to worst, but he should've known better. Maybe he should consider it good luck that the assassin had decided to stick around rather than escape. Not that he would've made it very far once Lu Han had found out, but it hadn't needed to come to that.  
  
"So? My vote is for killing them. Letting them go will just result in one of them spilling the beans." Minseok said. "I can make it quick."  
  
Lu Han sighed. He really hadn't wanted more work on his hands. But for his own safety... and for his plan with Minseok to work, he couldn't afford to make a mistake this early on in the game. He nodded.  
  
"Yeah, try to keep it clean though. It'll be a hassle to clean up otherwise. Is there any more coffee in the pot?"  
  
"Yeah, I made extra." Minseok said as he stepped over the first body, knife in hand. Lu Han went about making his own cup of coffee while Minseok took care of the dirty work. It wasn't until he was finished and washing his hands at the sink did Minseok speak up.  
  
"Now do you trust me?" He asked. Lu Han shrugged.  
  
"More than before."  
  
"I told you, you have my word. I said I'd work for you, so I plan on following through—even if you're a total cunt."  
  
That had the taller male laughing.  
  
"You're suddenly so docile about all this, it makes me want to suspect you even more instead."  
  
"I'm not you, I don't play mind games." Minseok insulted.  
  
"Come on then," Lu Han said as he turned to the shorter man with a soft smile. "Get in the shower, I'll bring you some clothes you can borrow. You have a place you've been staying at while you've been in China, right?"  
  
Surprised by the sudden hospitality, Minseok nodded, not sure what else to do other than that with his words caught on his tongue.  
  
"We'll swing by there then. That'll be our base of operations from now on—since you clearly don't need to be monitored... right?"  
  
Minseok felt his own smile creeping up on his face as he stared at Lu Han's friendly and trusting expression. As an assassin, his occupation required him to act alone—to not development attachments. It was hard not to when an enigma such as Lu Han was interacting so closely with him. His energy was almost infectious in a way.  
  
Minseok hated it as much as he appreciated it. He knew Lu Han's gesture was genuine, but a part of him also knew that the man was cunning, and even if he was extending his trust to Minseok now, the black haired man knew it could just as easily be retracted.  
  
It was only a short time—he might as well have fun while he could before he left the country.  
  
Minseok smiled back.  
  
"Yeah. I don't. You blackmailed me into staying, and I've already started the job. How could I leave in the middle of it? That would leave a mark on my perfect kill record."  
  
The smile had Lu Han's eyes widening for a fraction of a second before his own spread into a grin.  
  
"Didn't I already mess up your record?"  
  
"You don't fucking count."

 

 

 

 


	3. Chapter 03

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warnings: sexual tension

Minseok huffed as he gathered himself, brushing off the imaginary dirt from his pants. He peered over the edge of the roof he was currently on, looking down the six stories of flights to the ground below. The man he had pushed over the ledge had already hit the bottom, limbs splayed out and blood seeping from the dent in his skull. He hadn't necessarily planned to take out his target this way, but the man had surprised Minseok with his sudden appearance.

 

He had been on his phone, cigarette between his teeth—most likely having come up to the rooftop for a quick smoke and fresh air—when he had caught Minseok keeling in front of his bag and fiddling with its contents. He hadn't seemed to notice the assassin's weapons; otherwise Minseok was sure the man would have taken off in a hurry. Instead, his target only gave him an unsure gaze, like he wasn't sure if Minseok was supposed to be there or not, but figured it wasn't any of his business. He walked to the edge of the roof, leaning against the railing while he finished up his conversation.

 

The assassin decided this opportunity was too perfect to pass up and quietly slipped his gun back into his bag and stood, stalking silently over to where the unsuspecting man was. It was all too easy; grabbing the phone from the man's loose grip before throwing it to the ground so hard it shattered—all before his target could even make a sound. From then on, it was all physical. Minseok wrestled him around, the man struggling against the hold until Minseok punched him so hard it sent his eyes spinning. Using the man's brief moment of confusion to his advantage, Minseok lifted him over the roof railing with a grunt and pushed, effectively sending the man to his death.

 

If he was really as expendable to society as Lu Han said he was, the police would most likely write the incident off as a suicide and not look much further into it. The assassin's only concern was the group of people the man he had just killed and all the targets prior seemed to be involved in. They seemed to be slowly catching on to the fact that someone was picking off their numbers slowly, and as such, his assignments were steadily growing in security and difficulty. He had been lucky that his target this time had decided to come up alone on this occasion. It hadn't been a very smart move.

 

He pulled out a disposable flip-phone Lu Han had provided him a few missions ago—useless otherwise for texting or calling—and dialed the only number that was saved in the contacts. His call was answered within two rings.

 

"Hey, I finished up a bit early on my end." Minseok informed, not waiting for the other to talk. "I'm just gonna head home since I'm done for the day."

 

"You're not quite done." Lu Han cut in quickly before the elder could hang up. "I have one more job for you."

 

"... Are you serious?" Minseok complained with a sigh.

 

"I'll text you the address. It's somewhat close to the area you're at, so I'm sure you could make it if you ran." The politician said as he hung up, not giving the other man the opportunity to refute.

 

The curt treatment had Minseok cursing as he stared at the small, rectangle screen of his shitty phone. He let out a long, loud, sigh of resentment as he crossed the threshold back over to where he left his bag. He grabbed the handgun that was hiding within and unclipped the magazine. Even with the safety on, it was never a bad idea to be cautious.

 

He slung his backpack over his shoulders and stared at the doors that led to the building's inside stairs. He shrugged and opted to take his second option of exit. There was no telling what kind of people he would encounter trying to make his way down, especially if his target had guards waiting for him to return inside. If Minseok were to come out instead when no one was expecting him, there was no telling the amount of violence that could possibly occur.

 

He walked over to the edge of the building and peered down, gauging the distance from where he was to the ground. There didn't seem to be anything to grab on the way down if he were to fuck up, so there would be no room for mistakes. Bringing his gaze back up, it didn't seem like like  _ too _ hard of a feat to manage.

 

He took a few steps back before he dashed forward, his pace timed so his foot would land right at the edge before pushing him off. The building next to the one he was on wasn't too far and was at a slightly lower altitude—there was no reason for him to miss.

 

He landed easily on the other side. He smirked in triumph, satisfied with his own success. He adjusted the straps of his backpack and made his way across the roof to where there was an emergency ladder down the side of the new building he was on. It would be an easy trip back from where he was.

 

Soon after he had hung up with the politician, a text came in specifying the location where Minseok was supposed to meet. True to his word, it did happen to be fairly close to where he was just working. It was a big building built with traditional architecture. It didn't take a genius to realize the restaurant seemed to have a name for itself. Of course—where else would rich men eat after all?

 

When Minseok stepped in, he felt a bit out of place. He was carrying a backpack and dressed in all black from head to toe. He pulled at the high collar of his shirt, suddenly self-conscious of everything around him.

 

"Do you have a reservation, sir?" The receptionist asked him as he walked in.

 

Reservation? Lu Han hadn't mentioned any names he could use in the text. Even if he was an important figure, would he risk using his real name even at a well-known establishment? Especially if he were meeting a random no one?

 

"Uh, Xiumin?" Minseok tried. If that didn't work, he'd ask if the reservation was under Lu Han's name next, but this seemed to be the safest bet.

 

It turned out to be the right decision. The receptionist nodded their head and motioned for Minseok to follow them. He was led down the halls to a private room. When the doors slid open, Minseok couldn't help the slight frown of disdain as he saw who was waiting for him inside. Who else would it have been anyway? Minseok knew, yet seeing that infuriating smile that always seemed to be looking down on him made Minseok wish the man could just perish in a cloud of smoke.

 

"Hey, you made it. A bit on the slow side though." Lu Han teased as he propped his chin in his hand. Minseok took in the rest of the room—it was built just for private dining and Lu Han's usual entourage of bodyguards were nowhere to be seen. Well, considering that Minseok had filtered out a number of them before, it'd make sense that Lu Han would want to keep them away when he was meeting with an assassin. The table was set for two, the center taken up by a large pot built into the wood. It was bubbling with two kinds of soups and Minseok immediately recognized what it was.

 

"Sit down, you wanted hot pot, didn't you?" Lu Han said with a smile where he was sitting on the opposite side of the table. Minseok, despite his reservations, sat anyways. The man had really kept his word in treating Minseok.

 

"If you're here just to buy me dinner, I'm going to leave." Minseok said, though he had to admit—the food looked good.

 

"Well, there's that—but I did want to go over some things with you while we enjoyed our meal and maybe a few drinks." Lu Han said honestly as he leaned over to grab the bottle of liquor that was sitting there waiting, pouring a small shot for him and Minseok. The assassin's brows raised at that, interested in the prospect of alcohol. It always was a weakness for him.

 

"Fine. I'll bite. What did you want to discuss?" Minseok said as he made himself comfortable, grabbing the cup that Lu Han had poured for him and downing it in one go. It burned going down his throat, but damn did he enjoy that feeling. He licked his lips clean and grabbed the bottle to pour himself another shot. Lu Han looked on in amusement, his brow quirked as he raised his own neglected glass and drank his in turn. He wasn't going to mention that Minseok hadn't even toasted cups with him, but it was to be expected he supposed. While Lu Han busied himself with pouring more liquor, Minseok grabbed himself some utensils to dig into the meal Lu Han had paid for. He didn't bother waiting for the other—it was every man for himself when it came to food and alcohol.

 

"I have another job coming up for you." The younger began. Minseok rolled his eyes.

 

"Of course, like I have been doing anything else while I've been here." He said sarcastically as he took a small sip of the soup. He immediately regretted it when the hot temperature burned the roof of his mouth, but damn, was it delicious.

 

"Don't be a smartass Minseok," Lu Han said, though the smile on his face suggested his words were far from contempt. "It's a bit more sensitive than the other tasks I've given you, seeing that it will be in a heavily crowded place with notable figures and no easy-access to take them out from the outside or at a distance."

 

Minseok rose an eyebrow at the description.

 

"Up-close interaction, huh... sounds like a pain in the ass." Minseok concluded as he listened to Lu Han talk.

 

"It'll be brief. I'll get you passage into the party easy enough, and if it will help you, I could probably introduce you to the target, but once you're in you'll mostly be relying on yourself." Lu Han continued as he pulled out his phone to glance at it. When he looked back up, Minseok was already eating, his plate full of food cooked from the steaming broth, chopsticks poised midair, and his cheeks full as he munched away.

 

The more he looked, the more it astounded Lu Han that the man in front of him was an assassin. Minseok looked and acted  _ nothing _ like such a thing—well, sometimes he could, but in instances like these...

 

He watched the small man chew thoughtfully before he brought more food into his already full mouth, his chopsticks immediately moving to grab more before he had even chewed and swallowed. The sight made Lu Han snort, laughing through his nose.

 

The sound made Minseok look up from busying himself with the food. His brows immediately furrowed, staring at Lu Han with a cautious gaze. He swallowed.

 

"What." He demanded more than questioned. Lu Han only shook his head with a wide smile.

 

"Nothing," The younger said, his eyes not leaving Minseok. "Does it taste good?"

 

Minseok looked at the other like he couldn't figure out what Lu Han was thinking, eyes narrowed in suspicion. He eventually nodded.

 

"Yeah, it's alright."

 

The reluctance of his answer made Lu Han chuckle more. He was enjoying the older man's petulance much more than he probably should.

 

"You make it seem much more delicious than it probably is—so I was simply curious." At Minseok's confused stare, Lu Han continued. "The way you eat—you eat so heartily, it makes the food look even more appetizing."

 

Minseok could feel heat creeping up his neck to color his cheeks. He glared at the other man as best as he could.

 

"Stop fucking around." He ground out. "I'm not here to play games with you, I'm here to do the jobs you give me and nothing else."

 

"I'm not fucking around." Lu Han said simply. "There's nothing wrong with me admitting you're adorable, right?"

 

Minseok dropped his chopsticks on the table and choked, coughing as he reached for his glass of liquor. He gulped greedily before he slammed the cup back down, his eyes wincing at the slight burn.

 

"I acknowledge that my looks often make people underestimate me—but for some reason when you say it, it irritates me." Minseok admitted honestly. The statement had Lu Han belting out in laughter, enjoying how absolutely defiant Minseok was to him for no reason other than contempt. Well, it was Lu Han's fault the man was stuck in China he supposed. it was no wonder Minseok had a bit of a grudge towards him.

 

At least the politician could trust Minseok's word that he would do all the jobs Lu Han asked of him before he'd go running off—even if he did fight Lu Han every step of the way.

 

"Whatever you say. Just eat. The party will be in a few days so be ready. I'll be picking you up at your apartment in the morning on Saturday." Lu Han advised as he began eating. It wasn't his favorite food, but it was hard to think it tasteless when Minseok had looked like he was enjoying it so thoroughly.

  
  
  


**❉❉❉**

  
  


The people who arrived at Minseok's door Saturday morning didn't include Lu Han, but they apparently worked for him. The fact that Lu Han wasn't coming to meet with him personally made the assassin realize they were probably going to meet in a public place and he couldn't risk people accidentally spotting him with someone unknown. It would raise attention on Minseok—and if his targets were playing close attention, it would make them suspicious of Lu Han.

 

And that kind of situation wouldn't work well for the things they intended to do.

 

He got into the car without fuss, sitting in the back as he was driven down the streets of China. It wasn't too long of a drive, and before Minseok knew it, he was stepping out into some kind of salon. Though it was open, no one seemed to be inside—save for one person of course.

 

"You made it." Lu Han greeted happily with his arms open. He took in the elder's appearance and smiled appreciatively. "You're looking quite cute and comfortable."

 

Minseok glanced down at his attire—track pants, a loose sweater, and a cap. It was what he liked to wear normally. They were comfortable and easy to move in—he didn't understand what Lu Han found cute about the wardrobe though.

 

"This is normal, don't be a fucking creep." Minseok snapped. "Don't tell me we're playing dress up for the party tonight." He deadpanned as he looked at all the hair supplies and cosmetics lining the walls. Lu Han's mischievous smile set Minseok's nerves on edge.

 

"Mm, I suppose you could say we are." Lu Han confirmed. Minseok blanched, his expression completely transparent to the amount of displeasure he was feeling.

 

"Whatever," He sighed. He figured it was necessary—they  _ were _ going to a place that would be filled with important people after all. "Let's just get it over with."

 

"Before we begin," Lu Han said as he led Minseok over to a salon chair. He motioned with his fingers for someone in the side room to step forward. "How confident are you in your acting?"

 

Minseok made a noise of confusion, but the meaning of the politician's words were never answered. Two stylist stepped out from where they had seemingly been preparing in the back room. Lu Han only smiled and moved away to let the ladies do their work, leaving Minseok in their capable hands.

 

After a cursory hair wash and trim, his hair was gelled to lay back flat against his skull. Minseok always considered himself rather attractive in terms of looks, but he had never thought he could look  _ this _ terrible with the entirety of his forehead exposed and his hair practically nonexistent as product held it down. He tried not to frown as the stylist seemed to be prepping him for some kind of old-fashioned ball and made a mental pact to himself to never shave his hair bald.

 

The purpose of such a do became apparent quickly enough. The next thing to come out after his hair was successfully held in place with a finishing bald cap was a black wig—rather long and unkempt, but the stylist fitted it over his head regardless. She went about taming and trimming the hair, using water, heat, and product to smooth the frizz and to create loose and natural curls. It was no wonder Lu Han asked him if he was confident in his acting...

 

Minseok never had to act like a girl before—but he was sure he'd be able to figure it out if he had to. It couldn't be that hard, right?

 

"Oh wow," Lu Han breathed when everything was finished and Minseok stepped out into the lobby where the man was waiting. "Even the clothes they picked out fit well. You would never be able to guess you're a guy." He complimented.

 

The hairdressers had done their job well enough. Minseok now had long, black hair that draped past his shoulders in loose but bouncy curls. The second stylist had done his makeup, patting thick concealer and all kinds of other colors on his face until he looked like a completely different person. It wasn't that he'd never used makeup before—he's had occasions where he had to rely on it to enhance his looks for seduction, but he had never been able to quite capture an angle as sharp as what he had now.

 

He looked beautiful in a dangerous way—and the dress the girls had put him in did well to hide his broad shoulders but cinched around his waist to accentuate how slim he was. The fabric was flowy around his legs and the open skirt allowed Minseok to feel the full experience of air cooling places that weren't normally acquainted to such a sensation. It was weird not being able to feel fabric between his legs every time they brushed.

 

He looked up to see Lu Han smiling at him like always. He looked like a fucking idiot.

 

"If you can't tell I'm a dude under all this makeup, your eyes must be severely damaged." Minseok insulted with a low, deep tone. The huge contrast between his voice and his appearance made Lu Han laugh, the younger man clutching his stomach as he tried to keep it together. He eventually wiped the tears from his eyes and wrapped a strong arm around Minseok's shoulders, holding tight so the smaller man couldn't pull away.

 

"As long as you don't open that mouth of yours, your disguise is perfect." Lu Han reprimanded lightly. Minseok could only huff as he looked away from the other man, uncomfortable with how close the politician was to him. Lu Han had also dressed up for the occasion, the man looking more spiffy than Minseok normally saw him—which in its own right, wasn't by very much. Lu Han was usually well dressed simply because his job required him to.

 

The rest of the hours until the party were spent with Minseok trying to learn the proper steps in how to act like a typical woman. It wasn't any kind of formal training, but more of Minseok just doing whatever the hair dressers in the salon told him to do and fixing his posture and body movements accordingly when they said to. The hardest habit that Minseok was struggling with was remembering to sit with his legs closed, knees pressed together. There were too many rules in general for how a lady was supposed to act and by the time evening rolled by, Minseok wanted nothing more than to rip the wig and dress from his body and tear them to shreds.

 

His act wasn't perfect, but it would do. As long as tried not to speak, he was sure he'd manage somehow.

 

He and Lu Han boarded the car waiting out front that would talk them to the location of Qiu Zheng's building. Turned out it was a lot further than Minseok anticipated, the drive taking them all the way out to the middle of nowhere. The sun was just setting by the time they arrived, the lights from the mansion that they were pulling up to glowing against the soft dusk.

 

Lu Han's driver stepped out to open the backseat door where Lu Han and Minseok were waiting. The younger was the first out, the man buttoning up his suit jacket before he turned and extended his hand to Minseok. The assassin looked up at his partner with a slight glare before he begrudgingly took it—it was all for the sake of his act after all.

 

It was a little difficult climbing out of the car with fabric tangling around his legs and heels, but he eventually managed with a little pull and support from Lu Han. Minseok leaned down to brush away the creases on his attire, his other hand firmly on Lu Han's arm to keep himself from tipping over. Lu Han watched him all the while with an amused smile.

 

"It's such a change to hear you quiet for once. It's kind of nice." Lu Han teased, his head lowering down so it was close to Minseok's. The elder in turn frowned and looked Lu Han dead in the eye. If it weren't for the fact that there were other people out in the lot with them making their way towards the mansion's entrance, Minseok would have likely cursed him up and down with all kinds of swears.

 

Instead, he settled for digging the thin heel of his shoe right against Lu Han's toe. The pain had Lu Han jumping, his mouth open in a silent cry, as he yanked his foot away from Minseok's reach.

 

Minseok had all of two seconds to revel in victory when he was suddenly yanked forward. He let out a surprised squeak as he lost balance, barely staying on his toes. He was only kept up from falling over by the tight arm around his back. He had been dragged close to Lu Han, their bodies completely pressed against one another and allowing Minseok no room to wriggle. He couldn't help the slight flush of his ears as Lu Han's face was suddenly too close for comfort.

 

"You better watch yourself,  _ Xiao Min _ . You're supposed to be my plus one to this event—act out, and who knows what the other guests might think." Lu Han warned, his voice deep and low. The sound went straight to Minseok's gut, amplified by their proximity, and Minseok felt his face set itself on fire. He pushed against Lu Han's shoulders weakly, not wanting to shove him too hard and make the other guests think they were fighting. Plus, if Lu Han were to let him go now, Minseok wasn't entirely sure he could keep himself from falling.

 

"I—I get it, I won't do anything out of character." Minseok whispered quietly, trying to look anywhere but at Lu Han. Lu Han seemed to catch on to Minseok's discomfort though, unfortunately. His eyes lit up as he took in the man's red cheeks, his chest clenching with a maddening urge to tease.

 

"Really? You know what acting ‘in’ character might possibly entail though, right?" Lu Han said as he leaned closer. He lowered his eyes, gaze on the soft skin of Minseok's neck. He lowered his head till his breath was ghosting over the flesh, able to feel the assassin tense in his hold. He smiled at how predictable the elder was.

 

His lips were centimeters away from Minseok's neck when the assassin suddenly spoke up.

 

"Even if I'm here today as your partner, doing this in public, with your status, is inappropriate." Minseok said, his tone even and quiet. Lu Han's eyes widened in slight surprise at the man's sudden control, but pulled away otherwise, smile back on his face. Minseok was continuously full of surprises and it pleased the politician to no end.

 

Even though Minseok had a death grip on Lu Han's jacket like he had momentarily thought Lu Han really  _ would _ kiss him, he had still managed to keep a level head.

 

It was cute.

 

He let Minseok back down properly, holding on until the man had proper balance before he pulled his hands away. Minseok's cheeks were still slightly pink, but he looked much more in control of his emotions compared to before. He stared at Lu Han with a cold, unamused gaze.

 

This was the assassin facade that Lu Han was used to seeing—the small instances where Lu Han would see Minseok act more emotionally were always taken over by the expression he saw now. Cold, calculating, unperturbed—the fact that Minseok was capable of putting on a mask so quickly was what made him the fearsome killer he was.

 

Lu Han smiled. It was a good choice to keep Minseok after all.

 

"Shall we go, m'lady?" Lu Han exaggerated, offering his arm for Minseok to take. Minseok stared at him for a few moments longer before he relaxed, his face melting back into something more human. He rolled his eyes but wrapped his hand around Lu Han's arm nonetheless.

 

"Don't say that ever again—you sound like a fucking weeb." Minseok spat bitterly but just quiet enough so no one else around them could hear.

 

"Weeb?" Lu Han muttered, confused by Minseok's meaning. He'd never heard that word before.

 

Lu Han led them down the path towards the mansion's entrance, the pair coming to a grand set of stairs leading to the doors. Minseok bunched the fabric of his dress as the stylists had taught him and lifted the skirt up just enough to allow his feet to freely climb the steps.

 

"How you take out Qiu Zheng is your choice—when you're finished, head towards the storage rooms behind the kitchen. I hired one of the staff to place an extra set of server uniforms in there." Lu Han explained, his voice quiet. Minseok smiled, pretending that Lu Han had just told him something amusing.

 

"Oh?"

 

"If something happens, you can get in contact with him. His name is Xukun. You should be able to find him easily enough since the servers will have name tags." The politician continued. "When you're finished with your business, change into the uniform and ditch your disguise. If Xukun was telling the truth, there won't be any cameras in the storage room. When I see you, I'll know that means mission complete."

 

"What about you?" Minseok asked. Lu Han quirked a brow in confusion. "If there are cameras elsewhere in the building, won't they know that it was  _ you _ that brought me here? I'm sure that once Qiu Zheng is dead, they'll be going through the footage throughout the building searching for leads." He reasoned.

 

"You're right—but it's fine. I already have a safety precaution installed." Lu Han said confidently. "Inside your purse is a letter."

 

Minseok's eyes widened. He fought against every urge in his being to grab the purse he was carrying. They still weren't in a place safe enough for him to be acting obvious or potentially suspicious.

 

"What's the letter about?" Minseok asked.

 

"It's a letter from a certain individual sent to the daughter of the recently deceased Wang Yu Fan hinting that Qiu Zheng was the one responsible for the death of her father. The sender in question would use his connection to ask well known deputy director Lu Han to get to the daughter an invitation to the party where she will inevitably enact revenge." Lu Han told happily.

 

"Wang Yu Fan? He's the one you asked me to kill recently."

 

"Exactly."

 

"So you had this planned all along..." Minseok whispered in awe.

 

"Eh, not really actually. This was formed very last minute actually." Lu Han admitted with a laugh. Minseok stared up at the politician, his revere quickly quickly morphing into dumbfounded astonishment.

 

"What?"

 

"The original plan was you were supposed to be the plus one of that daughter—a friend of mine was supposed to be wearing that wig and acting like the daughter of Wang Yu Fan. She would have had the role of getting you into the party while I arrived with someone else, but she kind of caught on to my plans and pulled out last minute." Lu Han explained.

 

"You mean, she realized that once you were finished with whatever you had in mind, you would have had her killed too." Minseok finished.

 

"More or less, yes." The man admitted cheekily.

 

"So  _ that’s _ why I'm dressed up like this..." Minseok concluded with a sigh. The doors were opened for them, Lu Han leading the way to the center of the party. "So I'm guessing when I'm finished, ditch the purse in a place where it will be found easily?"

 

"Yes." Lu Han answered.

 

"And what of the man that sent the letter? What made-up man could possibly have connections to the infamous Lu?"

 

"Oh he's real."

 

"Then?"

 

Lu Han grinned. "He won't be for long though."

 

Minseok understood then. Once they were done with Qiu Zheng, Minseok would be sent out as soon as possible to take out whatever person Lu Han framed for sending out the letter and kill them before the police could get to them. It was a bit of a time sensitive operation, but it was rather well-put together for being patched together so haphazardly. Minseok was honestly surprised Lu Han had managed to find another solution to his partner bailing out on him.

 

Though he supposed Lu Han had placed a lot of trust in him to pull off acting like a woman, but Minseok wasn't going to do anything to jeopardize their position. It was a safe bet, for the most part.

 

The true test started now. There were undoubtedly going to be people who were curious about who Minseok was and what his relationship with Lu Han was—or rather, who 'Xiao Min' was and what 'her' relationship with Lu Han was. Minseok could only hope that they didn't ask too many questions. He wasn't sure if faking a high-pitched voice was going to be convincing enough.

 

They passed through the crowd, Lu Han smiling at people that nodded towards his direction, his greeting casual. There were a few that eyed Minseok curiously, but they mostly stayed away and kept a respectable space.

 

The first person to approach the pair was someone Minseok hadn't seen before.

 

"Hey Han." The man greeted as he walked towards Lu Han. He spared a glance at Minseok and gave a polite bow of his head. "Hello."

 

"Hey Yifan. I didn't think I'd see you here." Lu Han replied. It must've been a sarcastic remark because the man Minseok identified as Yifan let out a boisterous laugh and gave a strong pat to Lu Han's shoulder.

 

"Still the same as always, I see." Yifan said fondly. "Who's this on your arm?"

 

Minseok felt his heart spike in anxiety at being directly referred to. He smiled to cover up the nervousness.

 

"This is Xiao Min—she's the reason why I came to this event honestly." Lu Han said as he pulled Minseok close.

 

"Oh? Why is that?"

 

"My father mentioned to me that this gathering would be rather important—but I didn't really have any intentions on going. Then my friend contacted me saying they had someone that wanted to get in no matter what and that I should bring them along." Lu Han explained as he looked at Minseok with a knowing smile. Even though Minseok knew that Lu Han didn't mean anything of it, it still made him feel like he was being inspected under a microscope—especially with Yifan looking at him so intently.

 

"And that's her, I'm assuming?"

 

Her. Damn, they really  _ did _ think he was a girl.

 

"Yep. There's someone here who she fancies—isn't that right, Xiao Min?" The politician squeezed Minseok's shoulders, giving a little shake as a sort of reminder.

 

Act the part—yes, yes, Minseok got it. He didn't need to be reminded at every waking moment.

 

He nodded as he let his gaze lower, trying to emulate a quiet and embarrassed persona to the stranger. He hid a small smile behind his hand, perfectly pulling off the image of a girl whose secret was suddenly exposed.

 

"She's quite the shy one, isn't she?" Yifan pointed out with an amused laugh.

 

"I suppose—she's new and doesn't know anyone here so I guess it's to be expected." Lu Han cut in before a pause could fall into the conversation. It was obvious that Yifan was curious why Minseok hadn't said a single thing the entire conversation and was looking to create chances to get 'Xiao Min' to speak up. It seemed like Lu Han was vehement in protecting the image even if it meant sounding like an overbearing idiot.

 

It wasn't going to work if they kept it up like this though.

 

"It was nice to meet you..." Minseok mumbled out quietly in a pitch as high as he dared without it sounding too awkward. He had practiced a bit back at the salon and had determined if he talked too much people would begin to notice something was off, but a few small phrases were fine as long as no one was paying too much attention.

 

Yifan for the most part seemed appeased—and surprised. Lu Han was also looking at him, though his expression was far more controlled. He didn't seem nearly as pleased as Yifan either, but Minseok felt it was necessary. It was common sense that if Lu Han kept stepping in for him, people were going to find it weird. It was better to mutter a word here and there to keep others off their back just enough to satisfy their curiosity without giving away the truth of Minseok's identity.

 

"Yes, it was nice to meet you." Yifan returned the nicety with a polite smile. He nodded towards Lu Han. "I'll be off to go talk with others then. See you later tonight?"

 

"Yeah, see you in a few." Lu Han agreed. He waved as Yifan walked away. He turned and tugged Minseok around so the assassin was facing him. "What were you thinking?" He said hastily in a whisper.

 

"Oh come on, don't tell me you actually thought that talking over me to anyone who interacted with us was going to work?" Minseok condescended. Lu Han let out a long, tired sigh.

 

"I was hoping to avoid for as long as possible—I didn't want to give people the impression that we can be approached and conversed with easily. Yifan was an exception just now because we are well acquainted, but if I have to go around telling  _ everyone _ that asks about your backstory, it'll make movement much harder for us." Lu Han explained. Minseok could only frown. The man had a point, but Minseok still didn't think he did anything wrong.

 

"Fine—I'll try not to talk if I can absolutely help it, but I still feel that not remaining mute in front of your friend was the correct choice." Minseok argued. "I'll keep my silent image as effectively as you can keep us away from the other guests."

 

"Yeah, fine, whatever. I'll do my part and you'll do yours. As long as you understand my concern." Lu Han huffed and ran his hand through his hair. Perhaps an anxious tick?

 

The party went on. An introduction at the beginning had been made, along with a toast, and then the guests were free to mingle and eat at the buffet. The man who had greeted them from the front of the room seemed like the owner of the mansion, and though Lu Han hadn't said anything, it became apparent to Minseok that man was most likely Qiu Zheng.

 

"Do you still need to be introduced?" Lu Han had leaned down to whisper in Minseok's ear while they were making their way to the buffet tables. Minseok shook his head.

 

"I know what he looks like now. I won't lose sight of him." The assassin replied confidently. Ever since the man had made his speech, Minseok hadn't let Qiu Zheng out of his sight. Lu Han nodded and didn't press the matter any further. Though he wasn't able to create a concrete plan with the assassin, he trusted that Minseok would figure out what to do with this opportunity they were given. It was the only time Minseok would get to have easy-access to Qiu Zheng after all—there was no room for him to let the target slip away.

 

Minseok spent the hours at the party trailing after Lu Han silently while simultaneously keeping tabs on the target. There were times when he'd get caught up in a conversation with a guest asking all kinds of questions that Lu Han was able to dodge or cover for the most part, but whenever there seemed to be an incoming group or interested person making their way towards them, Minseok would excuse himself. Since he didn't know anybody, and nobody knew him, no one approached him when he was alone. They would instead ask through Lu Han, and without the risk of Minseok being exposed at his side, the younger man handled the flow of inquiries effortlessly all with a smile.

 

It was well into the night until Qiu Zheng made a move. He was saying parting farewells to a select few within the premise, the old man getting ready to bring the party to an end and retire for the night. It was obvious that most of the guests were merely going to relocate for an after-party, but that would only work in Minseok's favor.

 

He tugged on Lu Han's sleeve to get his attention, the taller man looking down at the sudden and frantic movement. He didn't get a chance to ask what was wrong. Minseok was already dragging him to the side of the room. They were relatively away from the main crowd when Minseok finally came to a stop and made a quick 180 turn to face Lu Han fully.

 

"Qiu Zheng is leaving. I need to follow him." Minseok stated.

 

"Yeah, I noticed. I'll escort you as far as the hallways." Lu Han offered. Minseok shook his head.

 

"I don't need it—"

 

"Don't be stupid. If you get caught by a server, you really think you'll be able to talk your way out of it—scratch that, talk at all?" Lu Han sighed. "I can be there as an effective excuse. Anything further than here is off-limits after all. Once you're far enough away from the main room, you won't need me beside you, and I'll honestly just get in your way during your covert operation, but I'll be with you until then." Lu Han insisted. It was true—if Minseok were to get caught early on, his only option would be to kill his witness. While it wasn't a big deal, it made the job much more difficult, especially if someone were to notice the absence of an extra body—or worse, the presence of an extra  _ dead _ body.

 

"Fine, but we need to go. Now. Qiu Zheng already left." Minseok whispered hurriedly. Lu Han took the hint and quickly put his hands on Minseok's waist and turned him around. He pushed the smaller man from behind, his body practically engulfing Minseok's. It was only when his cheeks turned pink did Minseok realize why Lu Han was doing such a thing—he was hiding Minseok.

 

"Since Qiu Zheng left, you have about thirty minutes until the building is cleared out—maybe less. With the host gone, people will be discussing where to go next. Return before I leave. Got it?" Lu Han said, his voice quiet and deep. His words seemed to vibrate right against Minseok's ear. The assassin swallowed hard and nodded.

 

"Got it." He whispered in reply.

 

They quietly slipped away from the main room and into the hallway where Minseok had seen Qiu Zheng leave. They spotted the target towards the end of the hall, his attention focused solely on the conversation he was having with a young woman. Rather than retire, it seemed the man had other activities in mind.

 

"That's the entrance to the kitchen—inside, you'll find the door to the storage area I mentioned." Lu Han pointed out. "Once you're away from this corridor, you should be in the clear."

 

Just then, the kitchen door opened. They hadn't gotten very far, so Minseok figured the repercussions for getting caught wandering wouldn't be too harsh—but at the same time, there was a high chance his movements would be restricted, if not entirely cut off. The party was ending, and if they didn't get kicked out, Minseok was sure the servers would keep a keen eye on them instead.

 

Minseok had just processed the amount of trouble this situation could bring them when he felt himself nearly tripping over his own heels from suddenly being pushed. His back collided rather painfully against a wall, the impact making Minseok gasp as he felt a puff of breath be forcefully pushed from his lungs.

 

There was only one person who would do such a stupid thing. Minseok narrowed his eyes, ready to bitch out Lu Han for manhandling him the way he just did.

 

Instead, Minseok lost his words as a hand gripped the underside of his jaw and forced his head up uncomfortably. Lu Han's other hand snaked its way around Minseok's waist, his grip pushing against Minseok's back to make him arch and press their bodies completely against each other.

 

Minseok wasn't even given a chance to ask what the man was doing. Lips closed over his own, Lu Han's entire presence completely overshadowing him—encasing him entirely.

 

His eyes went wide. It was too many things happening at once. He still wasn't quite over the fact that they were about to be caught—and now Lu Han was kissing him?

 

Minseok squirmed, his lips pursing in an attempt to reject the taller man. All he got for his troubles was Lu Han stepping even closer, completely trapping Minseok against the wall, as his grip on the assassin's throat tightened ever so slightly. The squeeze made Minseok gasp, his mouth opening obediently for a tongue that quickly followed.

 

He closed his eyes tightly, trying to ignore the quiet, wet sounds their mouths were making as Lu Han kissed him sensually over and over. He could feel Lu Han's body against his—in fact, the man had his whole leg between Minseok's. The sudden intimacy was throwing Minseok for a loop, unable to understand what brought this on.

 

Lu Han tilted his head to deepen the kiss even more, his skillful tongue eliciting a small, unsure sound from the cornered elder. The sweet reaction made Lu Han smile—Minseok able to feel the grin against his lips—and the younger moved the hand at Minseok's back a tad lower, fingertips dancing over the slope of Minseok's ass.

 

The assassin was moments away from shoving his offender away and giving him a well-deserved punch when he heard someone clearing their throat. Minseok couldn't see them, but he could hear the footsteps of whoever came out of the kitchen walk past them. Whoever it was, they didn't approach Lu Han and Minseok—and judging by the sound they made as they passed, it was most likely due to embarrassment.

 

Now Minseok understood—if he were just a regular server at a fancy party for a bunch of self-important rich bastards, he'd also roll his eyes at the sight of two people lip-locking indiscriminately.

 

Still, wasn't this too much? Lu Han's lips were soft, yeah, but he was doing  _ too _ much.

 

Minseok gasped and nearly bit down on Lu Han's tongue when the man released the death grip he had on Minseok's jaw to instead run his fingers down Minseok’s neck and his chest. The sensation tickled, and coupled with how close they were and how Lu Han was kissing him, it made his body feel all kinds of things. He gripped the lapels of Lu Han's suit in a tightly and tried not to let out his voice as he felt Lu Han's touch send sparks dancing in his abdomen.

 

Just when Minseok was about to shove the man off him for kissing too long, Lu Han finally pulled away. He had a hooded look, Lu Han’s smile lazy as he licked his lips as if he were experiencing the aftertaste of a delicious dessert.

 

"We should do that more often." The man teased, and Minseok could feel a flurry of all kinds of emotions well up in him.

 

Embarrassment. Anger. Disbelief. Agreement.

 

He pushed Lu Han away from his space and angrily wiped at his mouth with the back of his hand. The feeling was tacky, and his wrist came away stained with red from the lipstick he had been wearing—but Minseok didn’t care. He didn't need to keep up a facade anymore.

 

"You piece of shit," Minseok muttered, though his heart wasn't entirely in it.

 

"Yes, you're welcome for saving your ass," Lu Han said sarcastically with an equally derisive bow. He gave Minseok a grin. "We can continue the kiss later though. For now, I suggest you go after Qiu Zheng before you completely lose sight of him."

 

Minseok bristled slightly, but Lu Han was right. He didn't have the time to hang around arguing with this idiot. He gave Lu Han one last glare before turning and running down the hall to catch up with his target. He brought a hand up to his mouth as he ran, touching his lips that had become swollen slightly from the fervency of Lu Han's kisses.

 

No, he had to ignore it. He had a job to carry out—he couldn't afford to be distracted by Lu Han's random whims. It had done its job of giving Minseok a chance to pursue. He couldn't waste it by being lost in his thoughts.

 

He ran to the end of the hall and peeked past the wall where Qiu Zheng had turned down. They were far, but still in sight. They were heading up a staircase, most likely heading to the target's bedroom. He moved once he was sure they wouldn't see him and quickly followed. The clacking of his heels were a bit too noisy for his liking, but it was just a matter of controlling the fall of his weight within each step and where exactly to land on his feet to effectively muffle most of the sound.

 

There was a strange lack of guards, but Minseok supposed it would be strange to have men posted in your own home, where one should feel safe. If there  _ was _ security, they were most likely on standby in a room somewhere, ready to move at a single call.

 

Well, Minseok would just have to make sure to finish the job before Qiu Zheng could even make a squeak.

 

The top of the stairs revealed a large corridor filled with doors. There was no sign of his target anywhere. He was definitely in one of these rooms.

 

He walked slowly and cautiously, ears perked for even the slightest bit of sound as he passed each door. He knew he had found the right one when he could hear the high giggles of a woman and the low drone of a man uttering words that Minseok couldn't quite make out. He stepped closer and pressed his ear against the wood, confirming that Qiu Zheng was in fact exactly where Minseok had guessed.

 

He tried the door handle, turning it slowly and as silently as possible. It wasn't locked.

 

Qiu Zheng was making this  _ far _ too easy.

 

He threw open the door, ignoring the started yells of the occupants inside. He pulled out a taser gun from the purse he had been carrying off his shoulder and fired at the woman. He watched in satisfaction as her body immediately locked up and she fell like a useless statue to the floor. That should keep her from screaming her head off while Minseok made quick work of Qiu Zheng.

 

"Who—who are you!? What are you doing!?" The man demanded as he tried to scoot away from Minseok's approaching figure.

 

Minseok opened his mouth, thought about replying something witty to the man, but decided otherwise in the end. He wasn't Minseok—he was Xiao Min—and he didn't want to speak and blow his cover, even if the man was about to be killed.

 

He could never be too sure, after all.

 

He lunged after the man, who turned to crawl away the moment he realized his intruder had no intentions of talking. Minseok wrestled the yelling man to the floor and eventually mounted his body. He had pulled out a knife from his purse right after he had tased his target's bedwarmer and he quickly sunk the blade against the man's throat the moment he could. Qiu Zheng batted at his arms, choking on the blood bubbling in his mouth as he tried to call for help, but it was too late.

 

Minseok would have liked to drag this out, but since he was working on a time limit, he had no such luxury.

 

He brought the blade down in a hurried fever a few more times, watching as blood spurted from the wound to splatter messily over the furniture in the room. He eventually let go and stood up fully, watching as Qiu Zheng twitched against the floor in a futile attempt to cling to life. He'd be completely drained before anyone would find him.

 

Off to the side, Minseok could see the woman he had tased beginning to move again. He couldn't afford to let her go.

 

"P-Please—" She begged pitifully. She didn't even have the energy to scream.

 

As an apology, Minseok would make her end quick.

  
  


**❉❉❉**

  
  


Minseok slipped into the kitchen quietly, holding the door behind him so it closed slowly. There were still many people moving in and out of the area to serve the guests before they left and to begin the process of cleaning. It had been awkward trying to time when the best moment to go in would be while he hid low to the ground, hoping that no one would notice him there.

 

He'd chanced it, and luckily no one had been behind the doors when Minseok entered. He was sure he could fumble his way through an excuse for wanting to be in the kitchen, but he wasn't sure if he'd be able to explain the stains on his dress.

 

He took large steps towards the door to the storage area. It was nearby and the only other door in the area, so Minseok wagered it was the correct one.

 

Finally alone, Minseok made quick work of locating the uniform. It was folded neatly on top of a box labeled 'cucumbers' and Minseok quickly stripped his dress off to change. He eyed the dress he'd just taken off for a moment, considering what to do with it. If a proper investigation were to take place, with today's technology, it wouldn't be impossible for the forensics to find  _ something _ incriminating on a piece of clothing he'd worn all day. Though he was sure they wouldn't find a match to anything, Minseok didn't want to give them a solid trail either.

 

He rummaged through the storage for any sign of cleaning products and came away with something satisfactory: bleach.

 

He grabbed an unused container, stuffed the dress and his wig in, and proceeded to pour nearly the entire bottle of bleach in. The stench burned his nose, but it didn't bother him too much. Minseok could only hope that it would help even a little bit.

 

He went about using the remainder of the bleach to clean and smudge away any fingerprints he might have left behind—the taser gun, the knife, the handle of the purse—he made sure to be as thorough as possible. After that was finished, he moved to prop open the window in the storage room and left his heels under it. Whoever found the scene would probably assume 'Xiao Min' escaped that way. He left the purse by the shoes so it was in plain sight and could be readily found. Only then did he dress in the uniform waiting for him.

 

He was in the process of yanking off the bald cap on his head when a note fluttered down from where it had been hanging precariously out of the pocket of his vest. He bent down to pick up.

 

'Don't forget to tie up the loose ends.'

 

Huh. Lu Han truly was heartless.

 

He stuffed the small paper into his mouth, effectively making it so the note had never existed.

 

Minseok ran his fingers through his hair, relaxing the stiff strands that had been held down with product and stuffed under a bald cap for so long. He left the storage room, eyeing the servers that passed him one by one. They were all wearing name tags—Minseok prayed that no one would notice he was missing one.

 

He scanned through the bodies, eyes zeroing in on the names pinned to their vests. Finally, he found the person he was looking for.

 

"Xukun?" Minseok asked, his hand stopping the busy man from walking away. The young server turned, eyes wide with fright. It was obvious that being bought out by Lu Han had been weighing as a heavy conscience on his mind. He was acting much too jumpy for Minseok's liking.

 

"Y-Yes?"

 

"My name is Xiumin. I was told to come to you if I ever needed help." Minseok explained as calmly as he could. He smiled, hoping that it would ease some of Xukun's suspicion and tension. It worked like a charm.

 

"Oh—yes. What can I do for you?"

 

"I need to... bury something. I was hoping you could come assist me outside in the gardens to find the appropriate spot."

 

"Ah... of course. Follow me." Xukun nodded in understanding. He walked Minseok through the maze of the kitchen and bodies and exited out the side door. It led immediately to the yard, which was rather convenient. They moved further away from the building, the garden hedges soon hiding them from sight.

 

Xukun stopped when they reached the center.

 

"Under the shrubs here. If it's small, no one will notice that the dirt was disturbed there." The server offered helpfully. Minseok hummed.

 

"I think I'll need something a bit bigger though." The assassin said with a pout, tilting his head cutely.

 

"B-Bigger? Why?" Xukun asked as he looked around Minseok, like he was trying to find the item in question Minseok was wanting to bury.

 

"Well, it's going to be a body, so." Minseok trailed off, eyeing the younger boy curiously. As expected, Xukun's face paled considerably as dread filled his countenance. It was tragically cute.

 

Xukun's neck was slim—it was much too easy to twist his head to the side and hear the satisfying snap of his spine.

 

Minseok walked back to the kitchen, retracing his steps till he was back in the hallway where Lu Han had kissed him. He stepped into the grand room where the last of the party's guests were still straggling to leave.

 

He made a show of acting like he was cleaning, his eyes scanning the crowd for a certain politician.

 

Minseok found him quickly enough, the tall man walking nearby with a lady Minseok remembered seeing before. He made eye contact with the other man, and Lu Han's satisfied smile was nothing short of proud. He looked away with a chuckle, piquing the interest of his companion.

 

"What's wrong?" She asked.

 

"Nothing, just—do you smell that?" Lu Han countered her question with his own.

 

"Smell...? Ah, you mean the food?"

 

"No, it's a little more than that. Ah, yes—iron. It's the smell of iron." Lu Han laughed as he continued to walk, passing by Minseok.

 

Minseok didn't stick around to hear the rest. Lu Han knew the job was finished—he was done there.

 

Leaving through the front door would attract some curious stares, but thanks to Xukun, he knew an alternative route to that. It was a little roundabout, but it was better than being obvious. When he made it back outside, Minseok realized that most of the cars that had been parked in front of the mansion were gone—including Lu Han's.

 

"That fucker..." Minseok muttered in contempt as he crossed his arms. Not only was he now angry, the nighttime weather was rather cold. Did Lu Han expect Minseok to walk home?

 

Whatever—Minseok figured that if he could walk far enough to find a main road somewhere, he could hitchhike back—or if he was lucky, grab a taxi.

 

He began his sad trek down the long driveway of Qiu Zheng's home in bitterness, murmuring every curse under the moon in Lu Han's name. The mansion eventually fell out of sight, leaving Minseok alone in darkness and surrounded by nature. He swore that if he was attacked by a bear, he would sue.

 

It was a good ten minutes of silent walking when Minseok noticed a car parked along the side of the road, the brake lights on. Minseok recognized the plate, and while relief filled his system, he couldn't help but feel irritated at the same time.

 

He marched over to the vehicle and practically ripped the backdoor open.

 

"How gracious of you to offer me a ride." Minseok ground out before anyone could even say anything. He climbed in with a huff, slammed the door behind him, and pulled on his seatbelt.

 

"I didn't really offer but—I figured it'd be too harsh to make you walk all the way back on your own." Lu Han laughed, going along with Minseok's game. "So how was it?" He changed topics.

 

"If you're asking me how it was to kill the target, then you're fucking dumb. I've killed how many people now? Qiu Zheng wasn't anything special." Minseok snapped.

 

"Come now, even infiltrating as the opposite gender didn't create a sense of excitement for you? You haven't done that kind of thing before, right?" Lu Han pressed.

 

"I haven't done it, no, but it wasn't fun. It was inconvenient at best." Minseok sighed.

 

He flinched when his eye caught movement too close to him, but Lu Han didn't stop. His hand cupped the assassin's face and he ran a gentle thumb over Minseok's eyelid. The elder stared at him in confusion. He was already hyperaware of Lu Han in general after that kiss they shared—what else was he trying to start now?

 

"Your makeup—you didn't take it off?" Lu Han said with a soft smile.

 

"Huh?" Minseok stuttered, caught off guard by the question. He had forgotten about the makeup—fuck. He must've looked so out of place.

 

"Shit, my bad. No one was looking at me weird though, so I think it should be fine." Minseok apologized as he brushed Lu Han's hand away from his face.

 

"Mm. It's more than fine. It suits you." The younger complimented.

 

Minseok's head spun towards Lu Han. He narrowed his eyes at the other.

 

"What's wrong with you?" He couldn't help but ask. Lu Han merely shrugged, his smile not leaving.

 

"You're dangerous, smart, and attractive—what's not to like?"

 

The assassin stared at his partner incredulously, amazed that such bullshit words could come out of the man's mouth so easily. He eventually rolled his eyes.

 

"You have a loose screw somewhere."

 

"Yeah, sure, whatever. Do you wanna kiss?"

 

Silence fell over the backseat of the car. Minseok should have said no immediately, but just as he was about to, his brain had supplied his mind with images of the kiss they had shared not too long ago.

 

Minseok would be lying if he said it hadn't felt nice.

 

"You're fucking insufferable." Minseok growled as he unbuckled his seatbelt. He leaned over the empty space between them and closed the distance between their mouths, muffling the sound of Lu Han's mirthful laugh.

  
  



End file.
